About this case
Invention happens everywhere. But sometimes a “hot spot of invention” takes shape when the right mix of creative people, resources, and inspiring surroundings come together. In the 1930s, a hot spot began to form among the industrial labs and universities of New England. As World War II neared, the hot spot matured at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The “Hot Spot of Invention” showcase exhibit highlighted how three war-era labs at MIT helped transform Cambridge into a dynamic place of invention.
The Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation presented this small exhibit as a prototype of its larger “Places of Invention” exhibition during the planning stages for the Lemelson Hall of Invention.