For as long as people have had some type of home to live in, we have invented clever ways to keep our house and property secure. Even the cavemen and women probably had rudimentary ways to keep their simple dwellings secure — perhaps by placing a wild “pet” animal near the mouth of the cave.
Today, we can choose from a plethora of home security systems that are a far cry from some type of mammoth guarding a cave. Here’s a closer look at how home security design has evolved over the years.
Ben Franklin’s Busy Body System in the mid 1700s
When you think about Benjamin Franklin, you might envision the inventor in a thunderstorm holding a kite with a key dangling from it, learning about the connection between lightning and electricity. As it turns out, Franklin also is credited with inventing the first form of “video” surveillance in the form of a “Busy Body” series of mirrors. As Kilian Hardware notes, these mirrors were placed strategically so that people could remotely view — usually from an upper floor — who was at the front door. Of course, today we have security camera systems that can capture clear footage of who is on our property, but Franklin’s invention was pretty innovative for the times.
Pope’s Bell Alarms
In 1853, Augustus Russell Pope received a patent for the first ever electro-magnetic alarm system. As PBWorks.com notes, Pope invented a series of electric circuits and magnets that would cause a hammer to strike against a brass bell when a door or window was opened, thus alerting anyone who was home that there was an intruder.
Home Alarms and Cameras Take Off
Fast forward about a century and home alarms and security cameras began to increase in popularity. The first cameras that were sold were huge and bulky, and typically required installation by a security company or handyman. The footage that the cameras captured was not always very clear or easy to make out, and in order to view the footage you had to climb a ladder to retrieve a tape and hope that the camera caught something useful. Homes also used alarm systems that would often emit a shrill noise to alert the homeowners or neighbors that something was amiss.
Today’s Cutting-Edge Features Are Standard
In 2019, homeowners don’t have to rely on a system of mirrors or a rudimentary series of wires and magnets to keep their homes and property safe and secure. We also don’t have to purchase unwieldy cameras that stick out like a sore thumb to would-be criminals. For example, Lorex sells a number of innovative security monitoring systems that are small and sleek in design, while still offering state-of-the-art features. Their Noctural security cameras, for instance, feature a long-range night vision, high resolution and weatherproof ratings to keep them going even in a thunderstorm Ben Franklin would have loved. The security cameras can be discreetly hidden on properties, and still capture 4K UltraHD footage that will allow you to clearly see anyone who is trespassing on your property. Modern-day cameras are also available in wire-free models that also offer high-quality recordings combined with super easy and flexible installation options.
No Need to Adopt a Mammoth
It’s good to know that you don’t have to rig up some complicated series of mirrors to keep your home secure. Vivint Home security design has evolved for the better over the years, and while it’s fun to think of what new advancements may be coming down the pike, for now, today’s options are definitely state-of-the-art.
Readers Might Also Like:
Meet The 15 Black Billionaires of the World… (Yeah, ONLY 15 In The Whole World!)
Round By Round Break Down of the Mary Mary vs BeBe & CeCe Winans Verzuz
How Much Do Artists Really Get Paid For Streams – A Financial Breakdown
