John Wesley Hyatt

John Wesley Hyatt (November 28, 1837 - May 10, 1920) was an American inventor. He is known for having simplified the celluloid production process.

John Hyatt was born in Starkey, New York. He started working in a printing company at the age of 16, but will go on to register hundreds of patents as an inventor. While he was investigating the search for a substitute for ivory for the production of billiard balls; he conducted experiments with celluloid. The result was a viable way to produce celluloid, and Hyatt created the Celluloid Manufacturing Company in 1870.