I was minding my own business the other day, listening to an old episode of James O’Brien’s Mystery Hour on LBC (from 2019, if you must know), when a caller rang in with a question. Who invented the electric toaster? Now, being a lover of boring random trivia and obscure knowledge, my ears pricked up.
The answer came swiftly, Alan MacMasters, a Scotsman from the 19th century. Case closed, right?
Well, not exactly.
For some reason, maybe it was curiosity, maybe it was boredom, I decided to Google Alan MacMasters. You know, just to see what the man looked like or if he had any other quirky inventions.
And that, dear reader, is where I fell down the rabbit hole.
Turns out, Alan MacMasters didn’t invent the electric toaster. In fact, Alan MacMasters never existed.
What I stumbled upon was a delightful little hoax that had wormed its way into the annals of the internet, even making it onto Wikipedia (where, as we know, nothing is ever wrong… cough!)
Apparently, a group of cheeky students from Edinburgh cooked up the story as a prank, adding this fictional inventor to Wikipedia. They even created an elaborate backstory. MacMasters developed the “Eclipse” toaster in the 1890s, forever changing breakfast as we know it. It sounded so plausible that it stuck. Writers, broadcasters, James O’Brien, I’m looking at you, took it at face value.
It stayed on Wikipedia for years before anyone cottoned on. By the time it was exposed, the myth had been repeated in articles, books, and yes, Mystery Hour.
Honestly? I find the whole thing hilarious. There’s something wonderfully human about it. The way a good story, told well, can take on a life of its own.
As they say, a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.
So, who did invent the electric toaster?
Well, that honour probably goes to Frank Shailor of General Electric, who patented a model in 1909 called the D-12 (I’m pretty sure this isn’t where the rap group got its name from). Not quite as romantic as a mysterious Scottish inventor, is it?
But I think I prefer the Alan MacMasters version. It’s a toast (pun intended) to the mischief-makers, the storytellers, and those who remind us not to believe everything we hear, even if it’s on the radio.
If you want to read more about this marvellous hoax, here’s the link that sent me spiralling. Alan MacMasters Hoax – Wikipedia.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to toast a crumpet and ponder what other little fibs have made their way into history.
Take care
Mike
Who Wrote This?
Note: This post was researched and written with the help of AI. Roughly 85% my geekery, 15% AI Overlord.