Francis Davis Millet is generally credited with the invention of spray painting. In 1892, working under extremely tight deadlines to complete construction of the World's Columbian Exposition, Daniel Burnham appointed Millet to replace the fair's official director of color, William Pretyman. Pretyman had resigned following a dispute with Burnham. After experimenting, Millet settled on a mix of oil and white lead that could be applied using a hose and special nozzle, which would take considerably less time than traditional brush painting.[1]
In 1949, Edward Seymour developed spray paint that could be delivered from an aerosol can.