I don’t care if this ages me; it’s funny. When I was in middle school, we were in the thick of the disco era, and our 6th, 7th, and 8th grade parties featured disco music. And yes, we were all doing the hustle. Sadly, I don’t remember a disco ball, which is ironic in historical context, considering that those iconic relics were invented in Kentucky.
The Disco Era
The disco era wasn’t a long one, lasting approximately four years from 1977 through 1980. If I’d thought about it, I would have guessed that disco balls would have to have been manufactured pretty quickly. And, if it came up, I might have thought that the patent would have needed to be secured in short order, as well.
Disco Balls…a Kentucky Invention
As it turns out, the disco ball was invented several decades before the mid-1950s kick-off of the rock era, let alone the disco era of the 1970s. It was originally called a “myriad reflector,” which makes sense, and was patented on November 21st, 1916 by Louis Bernard Woeste of Newport, Kentucky. No, they weren’t needed for Bee Gees night at Studio 54. Not in 1916. But entertainment was at the core of the concept.
Just like disco balls, their “grandkids,” myriad deflectors were hung from ceilings in entertainment venues to maximize lighting limitations. Essentially, the purpose of the modern disco ball, as we know it, doesn’t stray one bit from its original intent.
While a Kentuckian owned the patent, mass production of the deflectors didn’t begin in Louisville until the 1940s.
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