Marie Van Brittan Brown

Biography

Marie Van Brittan Brown was born in 1922 Queens, New York, and was a nurse and inventor known for inventing the first CCTV-based security system.

She filed for the patent in 1966, inspired by the security risk that her home faced in her neighborhood. It was composed of peepholes, a camera, monitors, a two-way microphone, and an alarm button to contact the police immediately. The door could also be unlocked remotely once it was established that the visitor was safe. The patent was approved in 1969 and earned an award from the National Scientists Committee.

Brown's security system was the foundation for modern two-communication and surveillance security systems. Many aspects of her original design are still used today, and her patent was referenced by 13 other inventors as recently as 2013. Marie Van Brittan Brown died in 1999.

Further Reading

https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/brown-marie-van-brittan-1922-1999/