Lewis Howard Latimer Drafts Patent Drawings for Alexander Graham Bell's Telephone

Lewis Howard Latimer, a self-taught draftsman and son of fugitive slaves, drafted the patent drawings for Alexander Graham Bell's telephone in 1876, drawings so precise and compelling that they helped Bell secure the historic patent. Latimer went on to become a pioneering inventor in his own right, most notably developing an improved carbon filament that made Thomas Edison's incandescent lightbulb practical and affordable.