Inventions

Did You Know…Life Jackets Were Once Made of Cork?

Invented to Cheat Drowning

Photo by Bian ye on Unsplash

The bright orange vest we wear on boats has a surprisingly dramatic backstory.

The very first modern version was invented in the 1850s by Captain John Ross Ward, a British Royal National Lifeboat Institution inspector. And back then, it wasn’t some comfy foam vest. It was basically a stiff vest packed with wood-like cork pieces.

Also known as a Personal Flotation Device or PFD, Ward’s invention was designed to keep lifeboat crews alive during brutal sea rescues. It was to give them a fighting chance against drowning when ships went down. Over the years, the design changed from kapok-filled jackets to foam ones.

By World War II, life jackets had evolved into inflatable versions nicknamed “Mae Wests”. It was objectifyingly named after the Hollywood actress famous for her curves because of how they puffed up when worn. Sailors joked about it like any sexist person in the world would. But those jackets kept thousands from drowning.

Fast-forward to today, and we have foam-filled and lightweight jackets that let us paddleboard, sail, or kayak without feeling like we are wearing furniture.

Photo by Jackalope West on Unsplash

From cork vests to the so-called “Mae Wests,” this 19th-century invention has kept evolving. There are even remote-controlled life jackets designed like a mini motorboat to reach the drowning person much faster! And thankfully, we’ve left the objectifying nicknames behind to let it keep doing what it does best: saving lives.

[embed]A brief history of the lifejacket The lowly lifejacket is a fixture of cottages everywhere: hanging on hooks in the shed, discarded in a heap on the…cottagelife.com

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