SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, New York, Aug. 1, 1885  

* Inventor Sarah E. Goode
* 1st African American Woman
* To receive a United States Patent

Sarah Goode is not a name from history remembered by many, but she was a trailblazer. She was the first African American woman to receive a patent from the U.S. Patent Office.
Most customers of Goode's Chicago furniture store were working-class people who lived in small apartments that couldn’t fit a lot of furniture, including beds. As Goode heard of this problem from her customers, she set out to help Chicago apartment dwellers with limited space. She invented a folding bed that would become the precursor to the Murphy Bed, a hide-away bed.
In 1885, for her invention of the folding bed, Goode was the first African American woman to receive a U.S. patent.
Near the back of this issue is an inconspicuous listing of recent patents and their numbers. Among them is: "Bed, cabinet, S.E. Goode.....322177".
Sixteen pages, very nice condition.