Of course, you are familiar with Ray Harroun racing the Marmon Wasp in 1911, who used mirrors to see competitors.
When asked about how he came up with such an innovative idea as the rearview mirror, Harroun took no credit. He said that in 1904 he saw a driver of a horse-drawn buggy using a rearview mirror. Harroun thought it was a great idea. He copied it and installed it on his race car.
But even earlier, in 1906, Dorothy Levitt, born Dorothy Elizabeth Levi, author, businesswoman, and automobile engineer, who started in the automotive world as a secretary at the Napier motor company. used a handheld beauty mirror to assist her during a car race. She identified that a similar fixed mirror inside the car would help drivers
Berger's 1921 invention, featuring a 3x7 inch plate glass mirror attached to the windshield, was the first widely distributed version for daily driving, turning a surveillance tool into an essential safety feature
Berger’s business must have been quite successful. He married an opera singer and actress, and the couple bought a house in Huntington Palisades, a new development between Brentwood and Santa Monica. They lived there through the 1930s and ‘40s. They also owned a thoroughbred racing stable. Several of their horses went on to be highly competitive in the major horse races of the day.
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