Mary Anderson invented the windshield wiper after patenting a manually operated version in 1903. Her device allowed a driver to clear snow, rain, or other obstructions from the outside of a vehicle without leaving the seat.
Anderson reportedly conceived the idea during a streetcar journey in New York City in 1902. The driver repeatedly opened the front window to remove snow, disrupting the journey. Anderson’s design placed a spring-loaded rubber blade on the outside of the windshield and connected it to a handle inside the vehicle.
The U.S. patent described a removable cleaning arm operated by hand. It was not powered like most modern wipers, but it established the basic sweeping motion. Anderson struggled to find a commercial manufacturer, and her patent eventually expired without making her wealthy.
Later inventors developed automatic and intermittent systems. Charlotte Bridgwood patented an automatically operated roller wiper in 1917, while Robert Kearns helped develop intermittent wiper technology decades later. Anderson’s early patent is nevertheless widely recognized as a key origin of the windshield wiper.