Wireless Home Security System

The Burglar Alarm: An Edwin Holmes Brainchild

Who would have thought that the burglar alarm is over 150 years old? It was the mid 1800s when an ailing Augustus Russell Pope, a Unitarian minister, sold the patent of his electro-magnetic burglar alarm to one Edwin Holmes.

The alarm prototype a rather was a crude and simple machine consisting of a spring that was released every time one would open a door or a window that would then sound off a bell. By 1859, unable to sell his burglar alarms in Boston, Holmes, together with his family, moved to New York City.

For over 10 years Holmes sold his burglar alarms in Manhattan. Initially people were skeptical in using electricity as part of their security alarms, but Holmes, armed with a knack of advertising, was not to be easily deterred from making his invention a success. He started by promoting his alarms for residential protection, yet taking into consideration the increasing commercial crime rates of New York at this period he soon discovered a broader and more lucrative market base by advertising the machines as public security for business establishments such as banks and jewelry shops.

By 1866, Holmes had over 1200 customers attesting to the success of his invention in the bustling city of New York. A huge part of his marketing strategy was to create a pamphlet in which he published testimonials attesting to the use of Holmes Burglar Alarms by reputable and famous business people such as P.T. Barnum and H.D. Brooks of the Brooks Brothers.

In addition to his ever-growing advertising ideas, Holmes also made sure to improve his product technologically to keep up with the demands of his clientele. He attached a clock to his security system that would turn the burglar alarm on and off and a latching electric circuit was also put in so that the bell would continue sounding off without having to manually reset the machine.

The burglar alarm systems were placed in elaborate wooden boxes for aesthetic and commercial reasons. Soon the company also sold annunciating devices that could also be used as a maid call device. Holmes expanded his company by providing installation demonstration and services to his customers. He taught his technicians how to skillfully conceal the burglar alarm system’s wiring underneath floorboards or carpets to preserve the visual appeal of a house.

Indeed, Holmes has turned the burglar alarm into a public necessity proving how one person can start a technological revolution that has persisted for over 150 years.