John Burnside (inventor)

John Burnside
Born
John Lyon Burnside III

(1916-11-02)November 2, 1916
DiedSeptember 14, 2008(2008-09-14) (aged 91)
Occupation(s)Gay rights activist, Inventor
SpouseEdith Sinclair
PartnerHarry Hay (1963–2002)

John Lyon Burnside III (November 2, 1916 – September 14, 2008) was an American inventor and gay rights activist, known for inventing the teleidoscope, darkfield kaleidoscope, and the Symmetricon.[1] Because he rediscovered the math behind kaleidoscope optics, makers of optically correct kaleidoscopes sold in the United States paid him royalties for decades. Burnside was the life partner of Harry Hay from 1962 until Hay's death in 2002. Burnside was living in San Francisco,[2] at the time of his death on September 14, 2008, from complications of brain cancer.[3]

  1. ^ Timmons, Stuart (1990), The Trouble with Harry Hay: Founder of the Modern Gay Movement, Alyson Publications, ISBN 978-1-55583-175-2
  2. ^ Cusac, Anne-Marie (September 1999), "Interview with Harry Hay", The Progressive, retrieved 2008-09-18
  3. ^ Highleyman, Liz (September 18, 2008), "John Burnside dies at 91", Bay Area Reporter, retrieved 2008-09-18

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