As you drive around Discovery West, you may notice the various ways in which we’ve honored women who have made significant contributions throughout history. From street names to lamppost banners and commissioned artwork, 19 Women of Discovery are featured throughout the neighborhood. And this month – Women’s History Month – we introduce you to two women whose names appear on signs at the same intersection: Katharine Burr Blodgett and Annie Londonderry.
Katharine Burr Blodgett (1898-1979) was an American physicist and chemist. In the 1930s she made history while working for General Electric by inventing non-reflective glass which had many practical applications including camera lenses, periscopes used in World War II, eyeglasses and windshields. She also invented methods for deicing aircraft wings. In 2007 Dr. Blodgett was posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Annie “Londonderry” Kopchovsky (1870-1947) emigrated to the US from Latvia when she was just five years old. At the age of 24 and with $10,000 in prize money motivating her, Annie set out to become the first woman to bicycle around the world. A brilliant saleswoman and exceptional storyteller, Annie acquired her name as part of a deal with one of her sponsors, Londonderry Lithia Spring Water Company. Annie completed her task in fifteen months, launching a journalism career and writing about her adventures. A sculpture by artist Chris Cole dedicated to Londonderry can be discovered along the east side of NW Londonderry Place.
You can find NW Blodgett Way intersecting with NW Londonderry Place along with many other streets named for our Women of Discovery throughout the neighborhood.