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.