Business History From Part-Time Genius: 9 Wonderful Wintertime Inventions
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Dec 31, 2025 Discover the fascinating origins of wintertime inventions! Uncover how a teenager invented the snowmobile and learn about the accidental creation of man-made snow. Dive into the surprising beginning of Kleenex as makeup wipes before they became essential for colds. Hear the story of Chester Greenwood, who crafted earmuffs to keep ears warm. Plus, explore Eddie Bauer's ingenious down jacket invention born from a near-freezing experience. Each tale showcases creativity solving cold-weather challenges!
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How Movie Snow Evolved
- Fake snow in films evolved from painted cornflakes to paper that never melts and is shot through hoses.
- Modern paper snow sticks when lightly dampened and can cover large areas fast.
Film Snow Comes In Bales
- Paper snow for sets is packaged in bales and shot through hoses that lightly dampen it so it sticks like real snow.
- The method covers up to 37 square meters per minute and never melts on set.
Teen Invents Earmuffs
- Chester Greenwood, a 15-year-old from Maine, asked his grandmother to sew ear shields and created the first earmuffs.
- He patented them and ran a factory producing 50,000 pairs annually by age 25.