Places of Invention

Places of Invention is the companion book to a Smithsonian National Museum of American History exhibition of the same name. It seeks to answer important questions about the nature of invention and innovation- How do some places spark invention and innovation? How does place –whether physical, social, or cultural–support, constrain, and shape innovation? Why does invention flourish in one spot but struggle in another, even very similar, location? In short- Why there? Why then?

This powerful volume explores the relationship between place and creativity throughout history. It features six key case studies- precision manufacturing in Hartford, CT in the late 1800s; Technicolor in Hollywood, CA in the 1930s; medical innovations in Medical Alley, MN in the 1950s; hip-hop’s birth in the Bronx, NY in the 1970s; the rise of the personal computer in Silicon Valley, CA in the 1970s and 1980s; and clean-energy innovations in Fort Collins, CO in the 2010s. The lively and informative narrative from the exhibition’s curators focuses on the central thesis that invention is everywhere and fueled by unique combinations of creative people, ready resources, and inspiring surroundings. Like the locations it explores, Places of Invention shows how the history of invention can be a transformative lens for understanding local history and cultivating creativity on scales of place ranging from the personal to the national and beyond.