Joseph DixonBorn 18 Jan 1799; died 15 Jun 1869 at age 70.American inventor and manufacturer who pioneered the industrial use of graphite and many other innovations. As a printer and a photographer, he designed a mirror into a camera that was the forerunner of the viewfinder, patented a double-crank steam engine, evolved a method of printing banknotes to foil counterfeiters, and patented a new method for tunneling under water. As a manufacturer and entrepreneur, Joseph Dixon produced the first pencil made in the U.S., 2 Apr 1827, and was responsible for the development of the graphite industry there. When he died, the Joseph Dixon Crucible Company was the largest manufacturer of graphite products in the world. His friends included the American inventors Fulton, Morse, and Bell. |