UNCOMMON KNOWLED GE FOR MODERN TIME S
HOW THE MARKER GOT ITS MAGIC As the humble pencil and its brethren prepare to fill backpacks, let’s honor them with a look back at their origins.
P R O P S T Y L I N G BY J O J O L I . S P E C I A L T H A N K S T O C A I T L I N E LG I N O F C W P E N C I L E N T E R P R I S E , I N N E W Y O R K C I T Y, A N D N ATA L I E V I O L I , D I R E C T O R O F C O R P O R AT E C O M M U N I C AT I O N S AT H E N K E L , I N S C O T T S D A L E , A R I Z O N A .
THE PENCIL
In the 1500s, a storm tore down a tree in an English village, unearthing a shiny substance now known as graphite. Farmers began using it to mark sheep, then encased it in wood to prevent it from staining fingers, explains James Ward, the author of The Perfection of the Paper Clip. THE MAGIC MARKER
In 1952 American inventor Sidney Rosenthal developed the first felttip writing implement. His ink-filled bottle with a wool wick was dubbed the “Magic Marker” because of its ability to write on almost any surface. (Much to the dismay of parents!) THE GLUE STICK
THE RUBBER ERASER WAS INVENTED IN THE 1840S. UNTIL THEN, THE BEST “DEVICE” FOR REMOVING PENCIL MARKS WAS (BELIEVE IT OR NOT) A PIECE OF BREAD.
FIRST-DAY-OF-SCHOOL JITTERS?
Find advice to help kids deal at realsimple.com/schoolstress.
SEPTEMBER 2016
27
REALSIMPLE.COM
Aboard a plane in the late 1960s, German chemist Wolfgang Dierichs dreamed up the idea for a glue stick while watching a woman apply lipstick. “It was convenient and eliminated messy paste pots or brushes,” says Ward. The idea (ahem) stuck. Written by Brandi Broxson Photograph by Aaron Dyer
