Always Has Been: Chapter 1: Martha Coston and the Coston Flare System

Martha Coston, an inventress and businesswoman, revolutionized maritime safety with her invention of the Coston flare system in 1859. Building upon her late husband’s work, she developed a signaling technique using various colored flares to enable effective nighttime communication at sea. The system enhanced ship-to-ship communication, significantly reducing maritime accidents. Widely adopted by the U.S. Navy and commercial shipping industries, Coston's flares marked an important advancement in nautical technology.