Blossom Of The Day: Barbara Askins

Barbara Askins, a teacher and mother waited until after her two children entered school to complete her B. S. in chemistry followed by a Master’s degree in the same field. Barbara Askins is the inventor who developed a totally new way of processing film

Barbara Askins was hired in 1975 by NASA to find a better way to develop astronomical and geological pictures taken by researchers. Until Barbara Askins’ discovery, these images, while containing valuable information, were hardly visible.

Barbara Askins - Patents:In 1978, Barbara Askins patented a method of enhancing the pictures using radioactive materials. The process was so successful that its uses were expanded beyond NASA research to improvements in X-ray technology and in the restoration of old pictures.

National Inventor of the Year:Barbara Askins was named National Inventor of the Year in 1978 and was the first woman patenting alone to be chosen for that honor. Barbara Askins received U.S. patent #4,101,780 on July 18, 1978 for a "Method of Obtaining Intensified Image from Developed Photographic Films and Plates."