Stories from the Blueprint: Josephine Cochrane

Stories from the Blueprint is a series of short stories showcasing how the Innovation Pathway - that is, a road to innovation from curiosity through imagination and creativity - has led to world-changing ideas and innovations throughout history.

Born in Ohio in 1839, Josephine Garis Cochrane inherited a knack for problem-solving from her engineer father and inventor grandfather.

In 1858, Josephine married William Cochran, a successful businessman from Illinois. Although just 19, Josephine showed her independence, adding an ‘e’ to her surname to become Josephine Cochrane because she believed that spelling added an air of European class.

Although she leaned into life as something of a socialite, entertaining guests at the couple’s home, she became increasingly frustrated when her fine china was chipped or broken by servants washing it by hand. Josephine took over washing the dishes herself but, when she found herself also chipping the china, she grew curious about a better way.

All was not as it seemed for the Cochrane’s, with William's alcoholism and temper, compounded by their son's death at age two, eventually seeing Josephine left with only $1500 after William died in 1883.

With the impetus created by her financial position, and the freedom from an abusive husband, Josephine set to work on her curiosity with more purpose. With her drive for innovation inspired by broken dishes, her key motivation wasn’t just about cleaning dishes, it was about protecting them.

Where others had begun working on automated dishwashers using a series of brushes, Josephine imagined a machine which sprayed water with force onto dishes held securely in racks.

With her vision firmly in mind, Josephine sought out local manufacturers who could turn it into a reality. What she found, however, were men who thought they knew better. In her words,

“I couldn’t get men to do the things I wanted in my way until they tried and failed in their own. And that was costly for me.”

Ultimately, Josephine took her own sketches to a young mechanic in order to build her prototype. She designed wire compartments for plates, cups, and saucers within a flat wheel inside a copper boiler, where a motor pumped hot, soapy water over the dishes as it turned. 

In 1886, she was granted a patent for her invention: the first mechanical dishwasher. Importantly, unlike earlier attempts, Josephine’s design actually worked.

Praise for Josephine’s invention was swift. At the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, she won 'best mechanical construction' for her dishwasher, leading to its adoption in hotels and restaurants valuing efficiency and durability.

Anyone who can remember washing the dishes as a daily chore will recognise that the move to dishwashers being part of every home was a slow burn through the 20th century. Advances in plumbing, electricity, and manufacturing were essential to scale her invention, making the dishwasher a cornerstone of modern kitchens globally.

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Josephine Cochrane's journey - from curiosity over broken china, to imagining a new process, to creating a working prototype - ultimately reshaped domestic life.

As one of those people who dreaded the nightly chore of handwashing dishes, I am indebted to Josephine’s journey through the innovation pathway.