In the United States, Thomas Edison received a patent for a pneumatic stencil pen that used a needle to create a stencil for reproducing documents. While the stencil pen was not a commercial success, a tattoo artist named Samuel O'Reilly adapted the design for tattooing, inventing the modern electric tattoo machine. Edison's original invention was ahead of its time, but it found its true purpose in an unexpected application, demonstrating the serendipitous nature of innovation.

Edison's pneumatic pen has had a lasting cultural impact through its adoption by the tattoo community, and it has been featured in various poetic and literary works as a symbol of body modification and self-expression. The device's unintended use for tattooing has made it a subject of interest for poets who explore the relationship between art and technology. The story of how a failed invention found new life is a testament to the unpredictable nature of innovation, a theme that resonates with poets who celebrate the unexpected.