Henry Jacques Gaisman
Encyclopedia
Henry Jacques Gaisman (December 5, 1869 – August 6, 1974) was a philanthropist and inventor of a type of safety razor
, the autographic camera, and over one thousand other patents which benefited common items such as swivel chairs, men's belts, and carburetors.
, a village near Mulhouse
, France
(in the Alsace
region bordering Germany
and France
), but who fled worsening political pressures, and immigrated to New Orleans in 1852. His parents Sarah and Jacques married in Memphis, Tennessee in 1864.
Henry J. Gaisman was born in 1869 in Memphis
, Tennessee
, the youngest of four children. His father Jacques died in Memphis during a Yellow Fever epidemic when Henry was age 3. After his father's death, his mother Sarah moved the family to Cincinnati, OH, where Henry spent some of his early childhood trying to help support his family by working as a newsboy. Already at age 9 Henry invented a medium for street car advertising. Unable to afford the lengthy schooling required to study mechanical engineering and chemistry (his first interests), he left school at age 13 to work various odd jobs. At age 16 he invented the glass-enclosed bulletin boards commonly used in hotel lobbies. He then worked briefly as a leather worker, then a leather dealer, and in 1894 moved to New York City
where he sold his first financially successful invention, a belt that wouldn't slip. Later, he invented the safety razor, an invention which would allow him to develop into a wealthy businessman despite never completing his formal education.
His safety razor
was patented in May and July 1904, and was initially sold by the Auto Strop Safety Razor Company, a competitor to razor and blade manufacturer Gillette Razor Corporation, run by competitor Mr. King C. Gillette
. When Mr. Gaisman found similar technologies in the Gillette razors, his company sued the Gillette Razor Corporation for patent infringement, which Mr. Gillette resolved by merging with Auto Strop. When Mr. Gaisman came on board at the Gillette corporation, he found financial reporting errors which shook investor confidence and briefly caused the Gillette stock to drop. When Mr. Gillette eventually died at age 77, Mr. Gaisman went on to become the leader of the Gillette Razor Corporation.
In 1914, he also developed the autographic
camera, a process where photographers could write small notes on the edge of their negatives. The rights to this process were purchased by George Eastman
(of Eastman Kodak
) in 1914 for the sum of $300,000.
After his razorblade patent ran out in 1921, he continued to develop newer razorblade technologies in an effort to protect his patent. On November 21, 1922, he applied for a new patent on a newer razor technology with a double-edged safety blade that would fit into the Gillette handles, but the Gillette blades would not fit into his newer handles. On June 28, 1927, he was granted the patent for this newer "Probak" razor, and in 1928 he founded the Probak Razor Corporation.
In 1932, at age 63 and still a bachelor, he moved from his Park Avenue apartment home to Hartsdale, NY after purchasing 106 acre (0.42896716 km²) of land from George Christiancy, former U.S. Minister to Peru and stockbroker. Shortly thereafter, he purchased 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) of adjacent undeveloped land from the Healy estate, the neighboring A.P. Theobald estate, and a tract from the Kuzmier estate, giving him a total of 136 acre (0.55037296 km²) along Ridge Road in Hartsdale.
The Business Week magazine of Nov. 26, 1930 described Mr. Gaisman as "... of medium height, of benign mien. He lives in a Park Avenue apartment in a state of contented batchelorhood [sic] ... He has voiced doubts as to whether any woman could live with him. The doubt applies to unconventional working habits and not to personal disposition. If he gets an idea in the middle of the night there is no more sleep for him. Like Gillette, Gaisman is an incurable inventor. Also like Gillette, Gaisman possesses a quality notoriously lacking in most inventors – shrewd executive ability." He retired from the Gilette Safety Razor Corporation in 1938, at which time he was reputed to be worth more than 25 million dollars.
In 1948, while in Mt. Sinai hospital for routine medical care, he met Catherine "Kitty" Gaisman (ne Vance) (1919 - May 1, 2010), then a 29-year-old nursing supervisor and native of New Rochelle. Four years later, on April 18, 1952, at age 82, he married Catherine, then aged 33. Initially, the couple considered selling their land to Westchester County to build a new site for the Westchester Community College
. However, the couple changed their plans before the deal could be completed, and despite County threats to take the land through condemnation, he and his wife Catherine passed the title for their land to the New York Archdiocese in 1957 for $600,000, with the provision they could live on the estate as long as they wished. (The Westchester Community College
was eventually built on the 364 acres (1.5 km²) John A. Hartford estate on Grasslands Road in Valhalla.)
In 1971, at age 101, Mr. Gaisman was quoted in Who Said what (and When, and Where, and How) (ISBN : 0812902890) as saying, "I don't think that what anyone does is worth too much attention. I like to know what's going on. I want to be alive."
Mr. Gaisman died in White Plains
in 1974, at age 104, and was buried at the Gates of Heaven cemetery in Hawthorne, NY. His wife, Mrs. Catherine "Kitty" (Vance) Gaisman, continued to live on the estate until 1995, when she moved to Connecticut to live near family. On May 1, 2010 she died at Mt Sinai Hospital in NY at the age of 91. She was buried beside her husband at the Gates of Heaven cemetery.
The estate in Hartsdale was used as a home for retired Catholic nuns, and has since been purchased by the town of Greenburgh, NY, where it has been turned into a nature preserve. Retired nuns continue to live on the estate today.
Safety razor
A safety razor is a razor that protects the skin from all but the very edge of the blade. These razors reduce the possibility of serious injury, which makes them more forgiving than a straight razor.-Cartridges introduced:...
, the autographic camera, and over one thousand other patents which benefited common items such as swivel chairs, men's belts, and carburetors.
History
His father, Jacques Gaisman (né Geissmann), was an immigrant originally from DornachDornach
Dornach is a municipality in the district of Dorneck in the canton of Solothurn in Switzerland.-History:Dornach is first mentioned in 1223 as de Tornacho. In 1307 it was mentioned as zu Dornach...
, a village near Mulhouse
Mulhouse
Mulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(in the Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
region bordering Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
), but who fled worsening political pressures, and immigrated to New Orleans in 1852. His parents Sarah and Jacques married in Memphis, Tennessee in 1864.
Henry J. Gaisman was born in 1869 in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, the youngest of four children. His father Jacques died in Memphis during a Yellow Fever epidemic when Henry was age 3. After his father's death, his mother Sarah moved the family to Cincinnati, OH, where Henry spent some of his early childhood trying to help support his family by working as a newsboy. Already at age 9 Henry invented a medium for street car advertising. Unable to afford the lengthy schooling required to study mechanical engineering and chemistry (his first interests), he left school at age 13 to work various odd jobs. At age 16 he invented the glass-enclosed bulletin boards commonly used in hotel lobbies. He then worked briefly as a leather worker, then a leather dealer, and in 1894 moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where he sold his first financially successful invention, a belt that wouldn't slip. Later, he invented the safety razor, an invention which would allow him to develop into a wealthy businessman despite never completing his formal education.
His safety razor
Safety razor
A safety razor is a razor that protects the skin from all but the very edge of the blade. These razors reduce the possibility of serious injury, which makes them more forgiving than a straight razor.-Cartridges introduced:...
was patented in May and July 1904, and was initially sold by the Auto Strop Safety Razor Company, a competitor to razor and blade manufacturer Gillette Razor Corporation, run by competitor Mr. King C. Gillette
King C. Gillette
King Camp Gillette was an American businessman popularly known as the inventor of the safety razor, although several models were in existence prior to Gillette's design...
. When Mr. Gaisman found similar technologies in the Gillette razors, his company sued the Gillette Razor Corporation for patent infringement, which Mr. Gillette resolved by merging with Auto Strop. When Mr. Gaisman came on board at the Gillette corporation, he found financial reporting errors which shook investor confidence and briefly caused the Gillette stock to drop. When Mr. Gillette eventually died at age 77, Mr. Gaisman went on to become the leader of the Gillette Razor Corporation.
In 1914, he also developed the autographic
Autographic
The autographic system for roll film was launched by Kodak in 1914, and allowed the photographer to add written information on the film at the time of exposure....
camera, a process where photographers could write small notes on the edge of their negatives. The rights to this process were purchased by George Eastman
George Eastman
George Eastman was an American innovator and entrepreneur who founded the Eastman Kodak Company and invented roll film, helping to bring photography to the mainstream...
(of Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
) in 1914 for the sum of $300,000.
After his razorblade patent ran out in 1921, he continued to develop newer razorblade technologies in an effort to protect his patent. On November 21, 1922, he applied for a new patent on a newer razor technology with a double-edged safety blade that would fit into the Gillette handles, but the Gillette blades would not fit into his newer handles. On June 28, 1927, he was granted the patent for this newer "Probak" razor, and in 1928 he founded the Probak Razor Corporation.
In 1932, at age 63 and still a bachelor, he moved from his Park Avenue apartment home to Hartsdale, NY after purchasing 106 acre (0.42896716 km²) of land from George Christiancy, former U.S. Minister to Peru and stockbroker. Shortly thereafter, he purchased 16 acres (64,749.8 m²) of adjacent undeveloped land from the Healy estate, the neighboring A.P. Theobald estate, and a tract from the Kuzmier estate, giving him a total of 136 acre (0.55037296 km²) along Ridge Road in Hartsdale.
The Business Week magazine of Nov. 26, 1930 described Mr. Gaisman as "... of medium height, of benign mien. He lives in a Park Avenue apartment in a state of contented batchelorhood [sic] ... He has voiced doubts as to whether any woman could live with him. The doubt applies to unconventional working habits and not to personal disposition. If he gets an idea in the middle of the night there is no more sleep for him. Like Gillette, Gaisman is an incurable inventor. Also like Gillette, Gaisman possesses a quality notoriously lacking in most inventors – shrewd executive ability." He retired from the Gilette Safety Razor Corporation in 1938, at which time he was reputed to be worth more than 25 million dollars.
In 1948, while in Mt. Sinai hospital for routine medical care, he met Catherine "Kitty" Gaisman (ne Vance) (1919 - May 1, 2010), then a 29-year-old nursing supervisor and native of New Rochelle. Four years later, on April 18, 1952, at age 82, he married Catherine, then aged 33. Initially, the couple considered selling their land to Westchester County to build a new site for the Westchester Community College
Westchester Community College
Westchester Community College is a public, two-year community college in Valhalla, New York, sponsored by Westchester County, New York, and the State University of New York . The college is one of 30 community colleges affiliated with SUNY....
. However, the couple changed their plans before the deal could be completed, and despite County threats to take the land through condemnation, he and his wife Catherine passed the title for their land to the New York Archdiocese in 1957 for $600,000, with the provision they could live on the estate as long as they wished. (The Westchester Community College
Westchester Community College
Westchester Community College is a public, two-year community college in Valhalla, New York, sponsored by Westchester County, New York, and the State University of New York . The college is one of 30 community colleges affiliated with SUNY....
was eventually built on the 364 acres (1.5 km²) John A. Hartford estate on Grasslands Road in Valhalla.)
In 1971, at age 101, Mr. Gaisman was quoted in Who Said what (and When, and Where, and How) (ISBN : 0812902890) as saying, "I don't think that what anyone does is worth too much attention. I like to know what's going on. I want to be alive."
Mr. Gaisman died in White Plains
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
in 1974, at age 104, and was buried at the Gates of Heaven cemetery in Hawthorne, NY. His wife, Mrs. Catherine "Kitty" (Vance) Gaisman, continued to live on the estate until 1995, when she moved to Connecticut to live near family. On May 1, 2010 she died at Mt Sinai Hospital in NY at the age of 91. She was buried beside her husband at the Gates of Heaven cemetery.
The estate in Hartsdale was used as a home for retired Catholic nuns, and has since been purchased by the town of Greenburgh, NY, where it has been turned into a nature preserve. Retired nuns continue to live on the estate today.
External links
- Google Patent Search for Henry J. Gaisman
- http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nytimes/obituary.aspx?n=catherine-gaisman&pid=142463300
- http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A03E6DB173AF937A35756C0A9669D8B63