A history of Burglar Alarms
You may find yourself wondering where the burglar alarm came from. What was the inspiration behind its design? And how long have they been around? This article is going to run through a brief history of the humble burglar alarm to help you better understand where this invaluable piece of technology came from and where it is today.
The burglar alarm has been around for much longer than many may think. In fact, long before mechanical burglar alarms were created, man made use of certain animals to perform the role of home protector. We all know that dogs act as a deterrent in the home, but the Romans took advantage of geese. Geese are fiercely protective of the home; they are noisy and confrontational and provided security for the citizens during the Roman era. It was around 2000 years later that the first man-made alarm was invented.
The very first intruder warning system was created in England in the 1700s by an inventor known as Tildsley by using a simple set of chimes that were mechanically linked to the door lock. If anyone tried to use a key that was not designed for the door it would move the chimes and scare off the potential intruder while alerting the homeowner. Fast forward another 150 years to the 1850s in Boston, America where the first electronic burglar alarm was created. The inventor Augustus Russell Pope employed the use of electricity, magnets and a bell to create his warning system. The system was quite simple, yet effective.
A few years later, Augustus Pope becomes seriously ill with typhoid and sold his patent to Edward Holmes for $9500 before passing away just a few days later. Holmes moved his Burglar alarm business to New York and by 1866 had sold over 1200 of his devices. In 1868 the addition of a clock was added to the devices that the alarm could be turned off. The inclusion of a latching device prevented the device being turned off without being reset. In 1970 the introduction of motion sensors connected to the units arrived and was further improved throughout the eighties. The nineties saw the costs of alarms drop rapidly making them affordable to the general population.
Today, systems have advanced to the point that they can be connected wirelessly and notify the homeowner via mobile phone that the alarm has been tripped. Systems can be controlled via applications on your smartphone, and units come in a plethora of designs and sizes. The burglar alarm had humble beginnings and grew into one of the most important pieces of home protection available helping homeowners have peace of mind that they are safe inside their home.
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