Joshua Lionel Cowen

Joshua Lionel Cowen
Born	August 25, 1877
Died	September 8, 1965)
Nationality	United States
Occupation	Engineer
Engineering career
Projects	Lionel Corporation

Joshua Lionel Cowen (August 25, 1877-September 8, 1965), born Joshua Lionel Cohen, was an American inventor and the cofounder of Lionel Corporation, a manufacturer of model railroads and toy trains.

Cowen invented the flash-lamp in 1899, an early photographer's flash light source. He did not invent the flashlight as many sources say. David Misell, a British subject, did patent it - in turn immediately selling it to Conrad Hubert, the person that introduced it to the world through his novelty shop that eventually became Ever Ready Company.

Biography

The eighth of nine children of Jewish immigrants and a college dropout (he enrolled both at Columbia University and the City College of New York), Cowen received his first patent in 1899, for a device that ignited a photographer's flash. The same year, Cowen received a defense contract from the United States Navy to produce mine fuses that netted him $12,000. The following year, Cowen and one of his partners founded Lionel Corporation in New York City.

Cowen had built his first toy train at age 7, attaching a small motor under a model of a railroad flatcar. Cowen sold his first electric train in 1901 to a store owner in Manhattan, intending to use the train to call attention to other merchandise. The store owner returned the next day to order six more trains, because customers wanted to buy the store display. By 1902, Lionel was primarily a toy train manufacturer. He started his company, the Lionel Corporation.His trains continue to sell today.

Although Cowen often gave his birthdate as 1880, he was actually born three years earlier, and Cowen [legally] changed the spelling of his last name from the original Cohen in 1910, possibly to obscure his Jewish heritage.

Cowen's marketing skills ultimately made him more money than his talents at invention. The tradition linking toy trains to Christmas originated in Germany in the mid 1800s. It was expanded by Cowen, who in the 1920s convinced the owners of large department stores to incorporate elaborate train setups, which he provided, around their large Christmas tree displays, hoping to increase demand among small boys for toy trains as Christmas gifts. Lionel was soon the largest of three American toy train manufacturers, and for a short time in the early 1950s, Lionel was the largest toy manufacturer in the world. However, by the mid-1950s, public interest had shifted from trains to airplanes and slot cars.

Cowen retired in 1959, selling his 55,000 shares of Lionel stock to his great-nephew Roy Cohn. He died September 8, 1965 in Palm Beach, Florida. He is buried in Brooklyn, New York.

Timeline

Milestones: 1893 entered the College of the City of New York 1896 joins Henner & Anderson, an early dry cell battery manufacturer 1897 he took a job at the Acme Lamp Company in New York as a battery lamp assembler 1899 Cowen received his first patent for a device that ignited a photographer's flash 1899 Cowen received a defense contract from the United States Navy to produce mine fuses 1900 Cowen and Harry C. Grant founded Lionel Manufacturing Company in New York City 1900 he filed his second patent which improved on the first design of his flash igniter 1901 Lionel Manufacturing Company begins selling electric fans, battery operated with a small motor 1901 Cowen developed the first Lionel train—a battery-powered “Electric Express.” 1904 Cowen married Cecelia Liberman 1909 Cowen was calling his model trains "The Standard of the World." 1910 Joshua changes is last name from Cohen to Cowan 1915 O-Gauge was introduced, which eventually became the most popular scale of train 1918 Lionel Manufacturing Company renamed Lionel Corporation 1947 In a interview with The New Yorker magazine, Cowan claims he invented the flashlight 1953 Lionel became was the largest toy manufacturer in the world 1959 Joshua sold all of his stock to his nephew, the infamous attorney, Roy Cohn 1959 Retired from Lionel Corporation 1999 Lionel trains were selected as one of the top 10 toys of the 20th century toy train, model train, Lionel train, electric train, Joshua Lionel Cowen, Lionel, Harry C Grant, Lionel Manufacturing Company, Lionel Corporation, Lionel, LLC, invention, history, inventor of, history of, who invented, invention of, fascinating facts.