Updated on January 13, 2020 ~ Mary Bellis

John Lee Love (September 26, 1889?-December 26, 1931) was a Black inventor who developed the portable pencil sharpener, which he patented in 1897.

Not much is known about his life but he is remembered for two inventions, the other being a plasterer’s hawk, which works much like an artist’s palette for a plasterer or mason. In the pantheon of African American inventors, Love is remembered for devising small things to make life easier.

Fast Facts: John Lee Love

• Known For: Inventor of the Love pencil sharpener
• Born: September 26, 1889? in Fall River, Massachusetts
• Died: December 26, 1931 Charlotte, North Carolina
• Early Life
• John Lee Love is believed to have been born on September 26, 1889, though another account lists his birth year as sometime between 1865 and 1877 during Reconstruction, which would have put his place of birth in the South. Not much else is known about Love’s early days, including whether he had any formal schooling or what prompted him to tinker with and improve certain everyday objects.
• We do know that he worked almost his entire life as a carpenter in Fall River, Massachusetts and that he patented his first invention, an improved plasterer’s hawk, on July 9, 1895 (U.S. Patent No. 542,419).

First Invention

The plasterer’s hawk traditionally had been a flat, square wooden board, about nine inches long on each side, with a handle — basically, a post-like grip — that is perpendicular to the board and attached to its bottom. By putting the plaster, mortar, or (later) stucco on top of the board, the plasterer or mason could access it quickly and easily with the tool being used to apply it. The new design functioned much like an artist’s palette.

As a carpenter, Love was likely well acquainted with the use of plaster and mortar. He believed that the hawks in use at the time were too bulky to be portable. His innovation was to design a hawk with a detachable handle and a foldable board made of aluminum, which must have been a lot easier to clean than wood.

On November 23, 1897, Love patented the pencil sharpener

Source: blackpast.org , blackfacts.com , thoughtco.com

Source: HistoryPod YouTube.com