Thomas Edison Animal Rights tea towel

‘Non-violence leads to the highest ethics, which is the goal of all evolution. Until we stop harming all other living beings, we are still savages.’ 

Sometimes, we can be stuck on something for a long time, and then suddenly we have a breakthrough ­– a light-bulb moment, as it were. American inventor Thomas Edison had his in 1879, when he created the first long-lasting incandescent light bulb. (See what we did there?)

Without a doubt, the light bulb is Edison's most famous invention. But there was so much more too: two years earlier, he had invented the phonograph – the world's first method of recording and playing back sound – earning him the nickname the ‘Wizard of Menlo Park’. He later went on to create the first motion picture camera (the Kinetograph) as well as nickel-iron batteries. In total, Edison held 1,093 patents for inventions ranging from light bulbs to cement. He hoped that his inventions would help humanity move onto a higher moral plane, writing that ‘the machine has been human being's most effective escape from bondage.’ He also refused to be engaged on offensive development during World War I, and was proud that he had never invented to kill. In line with this, he was also a vegetarian (verging on vegan) for most of his life.

So, if you’re looking for an inspiring gift, this tea towel is a bright idea.