Every product has humble beginnings, including school supplies. Take a quick look at history with these four facts you didn’t know about school supplies. Some of these findings may surprise you!
The First Eraser Was Bread
The first eraser was a balled-up piece of moist bread. It erased graphite marks from paper, but it had a notable problem. Bread gets stale, and it’s not effective anymore.
Fortunately, a happy accident led to the invention of erasers. In 1770, Edward Nairne picked up a piece of rubber instead of bread to erase something on paper. He quickly realized the material was more effective at removing unwanted pencil marks.
Early erasers had an unpleasant odor and crumbled easily. Over the years, scientists created the right formula for erasers that we know today.
Lipstick Was the Inspiration for Glue Sticks
An interesting fact you didn’t know about school supplies is that lipstick inspired glue sticks. In 1969, German chemist Wolfgang Dietrich noticed a woman touching up her lipstick while onboard a plane. He noticed the convenience of the product as it was simple to deal with sticky substances without touching them.
Henkel was the first German company to put the glue stick on the market. They originally called the glue stick “Pritt Stick.” To no surprise, Pritt Stick had enormous success! In 1971, it extended from the German market and was sold in 38 different countries.
The First Commercial Lunch Box Appeared in 1902
The first commercial lunch boxes appeared in 1902. Originally, they mimicked picnic baskets to indicate the intended use. Additionally, children were the target audience for lunch boxes, so boxes included images of children on the containers.
As time went on, manufacturers introduced other characters on lunch boxes like Mickey Mouse, Pinocchio, Dumbo, and Goofy. Many modern lunch boxes reflect current TV shows and children-based characters.
Backpacks Weren’t Initially Popular
Backpacks are a must-have school item for every student, and it’s hard to think about life without them. Surprisingly, they weren’t popular at their initial release.
In 1938, Gerry Outdoors invented the first zippered backpack, but students weren’t interested in them during that time. However, they were an instant hit among hikers, campers, and outdoor enthusiasts.
Backpacks didn’t experience popularity until JanSport marketed the bags as lightweight carriers for books and school supplies.
Speaking of school supplies, 2Moda offers wholesale school supplies and other awesome products. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or school administrator, you can purchase top-quality items. Browse our supply kits now.