Ongoing History: A brief history of the disco ball
Odd question, but who came up with the idea of the disco ball? You know, that multi-faceted mirrored thing that rotates from the ceiling at nightclubs.
Believe it or not, its history goes back to at least 1897 when an electrician’s union got together for a party and showed off a “mirrored ball” which reflected the light of a carbon arc lamp all over the room. They got drunk and loved it. The first patent was filed in 1924 for something inventor Louis B. Woeste called a “myriad reflector.”
But after that, the disco ball faded into obscurity. It wasn’t until sometime in the early 70s at an early disco club in New York City called The Loft that the mirror ball made its return. From that point on, all clubs had to have one of these things—and they’re still hanging up there today.
