Harry Natkiel was an American inventor at the early part of the 20th century. The father of my paternal grandmother, I have spent my life believing 'my great-grandfather invented the bumps in the bobby pin.' Last winter I stumbled upon these drawings from official patents, issued through the US Patent office. I never had the opportunity to meet my great-grandfather Natkiel, but I am impressed at his life-long commitment to experimentation and attention to detail. Today he would be considered an industrial designer, and these changes to hair pins would take moments, not months to complete.
According to my grandmother (one of his three daughters), he was always adjusting hair pins to satisfy my great-grandmother, who had thin hair, and found it difficult to find a hair clip to stay in her hair.
These are the patents I have found so far.
