Mary Anderson and Charlotte Bridgwood: The Vision-aries

What they gave us: Windscreen wipers

Every time it rains in Singapore, you would do well to remember Mary Anderson (photo: left) and Charlotte Bridgwood.

Mary was a real estate developer in the early 1900s. She invented the first windscreen wipers after going through a storm in New York City and after seeing drivers having to stick their arms out in a futile attempt to clear their view.

In her version, the wipers had to be manually operated by levers, which proved quite a chore. Nonetheless, she patented the design in 1905, calling it a “window cleaning device for electric cars and other vehicles to remove snow, ice, or sleet from the window”.

A few years later, Charlotte, an automobile enthusiast who owned a manufacturing company improved on Anderson’s design.  She invented electrically powered windshield wipers, albeit with rollers instead of the rubber blades we use now.

Charlotte also received a patent for her design in 1917 – first automatic windshield cleaner.

Mary Anderson and Charlotte Bridgwood were practical visionaries who contributed to the development of automobiles at the dawn of the industry.  Thanks to their them, windshield wipers are now an indispensable part of any automobile.

Today, rain or shine, many women continue to make a difference in the automotive world.  They include CEOs of automakers, designers and even race drivers. They are an inspiration and we are honoured to share their stories.

Keep a lookout for their stories on our site!