On March 30, 1858, Hymen Lipman was issued the first patent for a pencil with an attached eraser. A simple cap of rubber changed the writing world, and the pencil industry, in a flash. Thank you, Mr. Lipman!
Oh Pencil, My Pencil!
From humble beginnings, perhaps a charred twig,
We found you quite useful for drawing a pig.
Before there was paper, we drew on the wall.
We wrote things on leather and shared thoughts with all.
Our fingers got messy, we learned to use lead,
Or ground rocks or chalk sticks or graphite instead.
Then in 1560 a turn for the good,
When the Bernacottis cased graphite with wood.
Oh pencil, my pencil, in colors so bright.
Your sharp pointed tips make it easy to write.
But thanks go to Lipman for finding a way
To erase the errors I make every day!
Your uses are many, but not to sign checks.
Carpenters use you to plan out new decks.
School children learn to write letters and words,
Accountants learned numbers and called themselves nerds.
Artists use pencils with leads blue and yellow.
But smudges appear making them sad and mellow.
Until Hymen Lipman changed pencils forever,
And patented the pencil eraser. How clever!
Oh pencil, my pencil, in colors so bright.
Your sharp pointed tips make it easy to write.
But thanks go to Lipman for finding a way
To erase the errors I make every day!
—Mary
Disclaimer: A pencil with an eraser was used to draft this ode.
Learn lots of interesting facts about pencils and their erasers at these sites:
Hymen Lipman Patent: Innovation in the Pencil Industry from Pencil.com
How Pencils are Made from PencilPages.com
20 Things You Didn’t Know About . . . Pencils from Discover magazine website
We welcome your comments and suggestions. Share your comments, stories, and ideas below, or contact us. All comments will be approved before posting, and are subject to our comment and privacy policies.
© 2015 by Free Spirit Publishing. All rights reserved.
