“Spirit of Invention: Nineteenth-Century U.S. Patent Models from the Hagley Museum and Library” is an exhibition of American patent models that showcases remarkable stories of invention and chronicles the development of the U.S. patent and intellectual property system in the 1800s. The exhibition of patent models in China is expected to engage a projected audience of more than one million visitors.
“Spirit of Invention” is comprised of sixty U.S. patent models, dating from 1836 to 1890. The models represent a broad spectrum of industries, consumer interests, and inventors. These artifacts will generate a rich visual discourse focused on the history of innovation and the role of intellectual property systems in catalyzing creativity and economic growth in the U.S. and China. Hagley and Tsinghua University will complement this presentation of patent models with opening receptions, academic symposia, and promotional campaigns connected to each exhibition venue.
"Spirit of Invention" has proven so popular that China’s National Museum has requested an extension of the exhibition, and Forbes has covered the exhibition's success here.