Goode, Sarah E.

1855-1905 · Contribution: 1885

Folding cabinet bed

Household & Domestic Inventions — collage image
Household & Domestic Inventions

Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.

Impact on the world

Her cabinet bed, a forerunner of the modern Murphy bed, helped people in small living spaces use rooms more efficiently.

Life & background

A furniture store owner, Goode patented a folding cabinet bed that could be converted into a desk when not in use, becoming the first African-American woman to receive a U.S. patent.

Sources

  1. BlackPast.org; National Archives (Patent 322,177); U.S. Patent 322,177