History Commons^™

Finding Grandpa's Patent: Using Patent Information For Historical Or Genealogical Research, Jan Comfort

Jan Comfort

Hardly a week goes by without a phone call, an e-mail message, or a visit from a patron who is looking for a patent issued to a family member. Often, the patron does not have complete information, and sometimes has nothing more than a name and a notion that Grandpa once invented something. This article describes some strategies that can be used by Librarians to assist patrons in historical patent research. It, additionally, includes a list of sources and highlights special materials that are available at Patent and Trademark Depository Libraries.