The Invention of the Roller Skate

The modern day roller skate has been in the making for a while. Inventors throughout the years have continued to make adjustments in order to make the skates more maneuverable. 

There are 2 very early accounts of people fastening wheels to their shoes and in both cases these people were attempting to mimic ice skating. In the early 1700s a Dutchman named Hans Brinker began to miss ice skating during the spring and summer. In an attempt to replicate the sport he attached wooden spools to planks of wood which he then strapped to his feet. In London 1743, another record of early roller skates was recorded. In a play by Tom Lockwood, wheels were fixed to actors' shoes in order for them to simulate ice skating. 

However Brinker and Lockwood’s actors could only move backwards and forwards in their “skates”, they could not turn, hence they are not accredited with the invention of the roller skate. Instead, it is John Joseph Merlin that is generally credited with the invention of the roller skate.

Merlin was born in Berlin in 1735 and spent 6 years of his young adult life studying at the Académie des Sciences in Paris. He leant to make clocks and automata as well as mathematical and musical instruments. In 1760 at the age of 25, he moved to England where he continued his career as an inventor. He spent most of his time refining pre-existing musical instruments and making various ‘exquisite’ clocks. However Merlin also had a creative streak. He was often described as having an eccentric sense of style and very flamboyant character. His innovative inventions also evidence this more artistic side of him. A few examples are: a mechanical chariot, a prosthetic device for amputees, and a clock powered by the change in pressure of the atmosphere which, unbelievably, never caught on! 

However, by far the funnest invention and the one that Merlin has gone down in history for is the roller skate. The skate designed by this flamboyant and eccentric inventor was actually the ‘inline’ skate, which is more comparable to a modern day roller blade than roller skate. 

Merlin used various marketing techniques to promote his inventions including opening his own museum in 1800 ‘Merlin’s Mechanical Museum’ and riding his mechanical chariot through Hyde Park on Sundays. Merlin invented the inline skate for a similar purpose; to draw more attention to his other inventions. He certainly achieved this at a masquerade party he attended, where he strapped on his skates, grabbed his violin and promptly crashed into an extraordinarily expensive mirror destroying both it and his violin. Luckily Merlin was ok and later inventors who improved Merlin's early model were now well aware of the importance of breaks on roller skates!

James Plimpton, an American inventor, designed the first quad skates in 1863. Plimpton’s "rocker skate" was far steadier and allowed skaters to steer simply by leaning left or right. With his adjustments and marketing, roller skating really started to take off!

Plimpton took a less chaotic approach to marketing his invention than Merlin did (albeit less entertaining). Plimpton founded the New York Roller Skating Association, opened the first Roller skating rink and even gave skating lessons. However most significantly Pimpleton marketed roller skating as an activity which young Victorian couples could do together.This changed the Victorian dating game by allowing young couples to meet without ‘reprisal or rigid chaperoning’.

The next notable adjustment to the roller skate takes us to Birmingham, where in 1876 William Brown revolutionized the roller skate by ensuring that ‘the two bearing surfaces of an axle remained fixed and moving, apart’. This meant that Brown reduced friction, thus making skating more efficient, more enjoyable, and made the skates less prone to damage.

As the wheels of time turned, the roller skate transformed from a whimsical experiment into an emblem of human creativity and resilience. From the initial endeavors of Hans Brinker and the theatrical attempts of Tom Lockwood's actors, to the audacious innovations of John Joseph Merlin and the calculated advancements of James Plimpton and William Brown, the roller skate journeyed through history with each adjustment and refinement.

Yet, it wasn't just the mechanics of these skates that evolved. A vibrant culture flourished in the wake of the roller skate's invention, weaving together a tapestry of passion, expression, and unity. The emergence of roller derby, with its fierce competition and empowering camaraderie, showcased the boundless potential of sports to break barriers and redefine societal norms. The resounding rhythm of roller disco and the grace of freestyle skating turned rinks into stages for self-expression, a realm where movement became art and music melded with motion.

In the echoing rinks and bustling parks, the legacy of the roller skate thrives. It's a legacy that encapsulates the audacity of John Joseph Merlin, the ingenuity of James Plimpton, and the precision of William Brown. It's a legacy that resonates in the laughter of skaters, the whirlwind of derby matches, and the vibrant swirl of disco lights. The roller skate is a celebration of human innovation, an embodiment of our desire to defy limits, and a testament to the enduring spirit of community and culture that continues to roll forward with each passing day. So, as the world spins on and skaters glide with the wind at their backs, the roller skate remains an enduring symbol of the joy of movement, the power of invention, and the beauty of shared experiences.

Resources:

Doric Columns: The History & Heritage Of The City Of Aberdeen

Roller Skating

John H. Lienhard, Engines Of Our Ingenuity

John Joseph Merlin

Mike Paterson, London Historians' Blog

A Georgian Wizard

27 February, 2018

Smithsonian

James L. Plimpton: Roller Skate Innovator

Ruth Terry, Jstor

The History Behind The Roller Skating Trend

September 7, 2020

Valeria Turturro, The Museum Of Fine Arts, Houston

The Characters Of Kenwood: John Joseph Merlin

July 23, 2012

Your Audio Tour

The First Roller Skates