Lillian Gilbreth inspired us. After talking about her life and accomplishments, we thought it was high time to introduce you to four more problem-solving women whose inventions we use every day: Josephine Cochrane, Melitta Bentz, Mary Phelps Jacobs and Hedy Lamarr.
Chapter One: The Dishwasher
![Cochrane_J](https://thehistorychicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Cochrane_J.jpg)
Josephine Cochrane was tired of her china being chipped during hand washing…so she invented the modern dishwasher and was granted a patent for it in 1886!
Chapter Two: The Coffee Filter
![627px-Melitta_Bentzcrop](https://thehistorychicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/627px-Melitta_Bentzcrop-240x300.jpg)
Melitta Bentz invented the paper coffee filter, a product that both of us can thank her for daily. She and her husband began a company out of their apartment in Germany that is now known world-wide and named after its founder.
![Melitta and Hugo Bentz (](https://thehistorychicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Melitta_-_Hugo_Bentz-wikicommons-300x212.jpg)
(For a lot more about coffee, its history and its consumption globally, go visit Love Some Coffee.)
Chapter Three: The Brassiere
As bra wearing women, we thank you Mary Phelps Jacobs (also known as Caresse Crosby), from the bottom of our cross our hearts..
![Caresse Crosby](https://thehistorychicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/CaresseCrosby.jpg)
![The original plans for the first brassiere](https://thehistorychicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/brassiere-patent-1914-211x300.jpg)
Chapter Four: Frequency Hopping
Glamorous movie star Hedy Lamarr was the brains behind technology that began life as a way to fight Nazi submarines but now makes our podcast and website possible (as well as quite a bit more).
![Hedy Lamarr (From Come Live with Me)](https://thehistorychicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Hedy_Lamarr-from-Come-Live-with-Me-1941.jpg)
![Hedy's collaborator on the Secret Communications System, George Antheil](https://thehistorychicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/George_Antheil.jpg)
For more about Hedy’s life, check out Hedy Lamarr (dot org).
And you wanted to see the YouTube from Ecstasy? Google it. 🙂 (It’s really quite PG by our modern standards, but alas, we have some kids that visit.)