Not many people know that New Orleans has invented several things that have changed the trajectory of everything from science to sweets. Sure, most people know New Orleans is the birthplace of Jazz, but we’ve invented a few other things the world can thank us for. Here are 8 inventions that New Orleans can claim as their own.
- Jazz
James Hawley/Flickr America’s first truly American art form began its roots right here in the Crescent City and we wear that with a badge of honor.
- Poker
Images Money/Flickr Although the game in some version has been around for hundreds of years, the version closest to what we know today is believed to have begun right here in New Orleans. As the legend goes, sailors in the Port of New Orleans in the early 19th century began playing poker to pass the time and make a little cash between jobs.
- Binocular microscopes
Apionid/Flickr John Leonard Riddell, a chemistry professor at Tulane invented the first practical microscope that enables binocular viewing of an object through a single objective lens, which transformed the trajectory of science.
- Dental floss
Marco Verch/Flickr Levi Spear Parmly, a dentist from New Orleans, is credited with inventing the first form of dental floss in 1819, although flossing was not commercially available until 1882, and then more widely available in 1898 when the Johnson & Johnson Corporation received the first patent for dental floss.
- Cotton Candy
Steve Shupe/Flickr There’s a debate over the exact origin of this sweet treat, and many believe it has roots in Italy that date all the way back to the 15th century. Joseph Lascaux, a dentist of all professions, invented a cotton candy machine in 1921, although the patent for the basic cotton candy machine goes to Albert D. Robinson of Massachusetts, who is credited with inventing the first machine in 1905.
- Po’boys
Paul Lowry/Flickr There’s a debate over who first created this iconic sandwich, but most of the stories date back to the streetcar strike in the early 1900s. No matter who invented it, we thank them for it and couldn’t imagine New Orleans without po’boys.
- Venetian Blinds
Waferboard/Flickr People have been using cloth to shade windows for hundreds of years, but Venetian blinds in particular date back to Italy in the 1700s. In 1841, New Orleanian John Hampson invented the mechanism that allows you to easily adjust the slats, opening the doors for more aluminum and other metal slats.
- The cocktail
Nan Palmero/Flickr Perhaps New Orleans’ most important invention, the cocktail. Although there’s still some debate over who really made the first cocktail, it’s widely accepted that New Orleans takes home that honor with the invention of the Sazerac.
How many of these inventions did you know? Let us know in the comments below!
James Hawley/Flickr
America’s first truly American art form began its roots right here in the Crescent City and we wear that with a badge of honor.
Images Money/Flickr
Although the game in some version has been around for hundreds of years, the version closest to what we know today is believed to have begun right here in New Orleans. As the legend goes, sailors in the Port of New Orleans in the early 19th century began playing poker to pass the time and make a little cash between jobs.
Apionid/Flickr
John Leonard Riddell, a chemistry professor at Tulane invented the first practical microscope that enables binocular viewing of an object through a single objective lens, which transformed the trajectory of science.
Marco Verch/Flickr
Levi Spear Parmly, a dentist from New Orleans, is credited with inventing the first form of dental floss in 1819, although flossing was not commercially available until 1882, and then more widely available in 1898 when the Johnson & Johnson Corporation received the first patent for dental floss.
Steve Shupe/Flickr
There’s a debate over the exact origin of this sweet treat, and many believe it has roots in Italy that date all the way back to the 15th century. Joseph Lascaux, a dentist of all professions, invented a cotton candy machine in 1921, although the patent for the basic cotton candy machine goes to Albert D. Robinson of Massachusetts, who is credited with inventing the first machine in 1905.
Paul Lowry/Flickr
There’s a debate over who first created this iconic sandwich, but most of the stories date back to the streetcar strike in the early 1900s. No matter who invented it, we thank them for it and couldn’t imagine New Orleans without po’boys.
Waferboard/Flickr
People have been using cloth to shade windows for hundreds of years, but Venetian blinds in particular date back to Italy in the 1700s. In 1841, New Orleanian John Hampson invented the mechanism that allows you to easily adjust the slats, opening the doors for more aluminum and other metal slats.
Nan Palmero/Flickr
Perhaps New Orleans’ most important invention, the cocktail. Although there’s still some debate over who really made the first cocktail, it’s widely accepted that New Orleans takes home that honor with the invention of the Sazerac.
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