Katharine Burr Blodgett’s brilliant career began at the ‘House of Magic’

image via New Scientist

February 5, 2026, 6:00 PM

• •Katharine Burr Blodgett began her career at GE in 1918, working with Irving Langmuir.
• •The article explores the history of GE's research lab and the city of Schenectady.
• •Blodgett's decision to work at GE may have been influenced by personal connections.
• •The text highlights Langmuir's scientific contributions, including his work on light bulbs and surface chemistry.
• •The article touches upon the challenges faced by women in science during that era.

Katharine Burr Blodgett's career at General Electric's research lab began in 1918, marking the start of a brilliant scientific journey. She joined the lab as an assistant to Irving Langmuir, a star chemist, in Schenectady, New York, a city with personal significance due to her father's unsolved murder. The article explores Blodgett's early career, her working relationship with Langmuir, and the environment of scientific innovation at GE's 'House of Magic'. It delves into her life, her choices, and the societal context in which she forged her path as a pioneering female scientist.

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