One of the two patents Bob was awarded in February 1950 was Patent #2,498,640 for “Photographic Flash Lighting Apparatus.”
As a young man, Bob’s passion was photography. During the Great Depression, he brought home an ‘empty’ glass bottle. His Mom asked him how much he paid for it… $70. She exploded as all she could see was an empty glass bottle. Bob, however, saw the future of photography. The glass bottle had xenon gas in it.
Later, he worked for a photography company in Hollywood which was located near the offices of Life magazine and Look magazine. At the time, Bob was still making his flashbulbs himself, and some of the photographers at Life and Look learned about his flashbulbs. He was thrilled to supply these famous photographers with his early flashbulbs. During that time in his life he came to know several of the big movie stars –
including Mae West.
A major achievement of Bob’s was inventing the first low-voltage portable electronic flash. It revolutionized the world of photography.
