Category Archives: Inventions

Bauble

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Bauble

Hang these facts in your brain like baubles on a Christmas tree.

  • Baubles are, typically, Christmas tree decorations that are common and cheap, although collectible ones are available and some stores do have expensive options.
  • Baubles are generally shaped as a sphere, often plain or frosted, shiny or one-coloured, but any design can be manufactured.
  • Baubles were first invented in Germany, in Lauscha, notably by Hans Greiner, who first manufactured them in the late 1840s.
  • Baubles have their history in fruit and nut shaped glass, the shape eventually changing to become a spherical shape.
  • Queen Victoria brought the bauble tradition from Germany to Europe in the mid to late 19 century, while American F.W. Woolworth became rich by being the main importer of the decoration in the USA, in 1880.

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Bauble
Image courtesy of Val Laird
  • Modern baubles are typically made of plastic, which allows cheaper manufacturing and makes them affordable for everyone, although glass baubles are still commonly available.
  • The first baubles, are said to have originated from the idea of blown egg shells, that could be hung on Christmas trees.
  • Baubles were originally quite expensive as they were hand-crafted and made of glass, and were therefore only for the rich.
  • Although Germany was the top producer of baubles before the World Wars, America became the top manufacturer after World War II.
  • Antique baubles from countries such as the Czech Republic have high values, as they are typically made from quality glass and are rarer than industrial decorations.
Bibliography:
Christmas Ornament, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_ornament
Coope L, Christmas Baubles through History, 2010, http://ezinearticles.com/?Christmas-Baubles-Through-History&id=4837006

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Wrapping Paper

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Wrapping Paper

Without wrapping paper, what would you do?

  • ‘Wrapping paper’ is also known as ‘gift wrap’ and in the early 1900s it was known as ‘gift dressing’.
  • Wrapping paper is used to attractively hide the content of presents using anything from paper to bags to boxes.
  • Wrapping paper is commonly held around the gift and taped to itself with pressure-sensitive tape and embellished with ribbon and ribbon bows.
  • Wrapping paper was first recorded in Ancient China, dating back to 100BC, and was probably used for protecting items from damage, rather than to hide its contents.
  • Thick, decorative wrapping paper was often used by the wealthy in the 1800s to cover gifts, and in the early 1900s, plain red, white or green tissue paper was commonly used to wrap Christmas presents.

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  • In 1917, Rollie and J.C. Hall, founders of the greeting card company Hallmark, sold out of tissue paper in their retail store in the lead up to Christmas, so they supplied customers with fancy coloured envelope linings as an alternative, which were extremely popular, and this caused decorative wrapping paper to be quickly added to their line of products.
  • Wrapping paper is sometimes reused, but is usually discarded, and in the United States alone, 3.6 million tonnes (4 million tons) of the paper and shopping bags from the Christmas season is sent to the rubbish dump, and accounts for 4/5 of the extra waste in that period.
  • Decorated paper is the most common type of wrapping paper, although historically, fabric wrapping cloths, known as ‘furoshiki’ in Japan and ‘bogaji’ in Korea were typically used, and these, as well as other fabric wrappings and reused paper from various sources, are sometimes used as an environmentally friendly alternative.
  • Up until the early 1900s, brown paper was typically used as wrapping paper for gifts and purchased goods.
  • People spend large quantities of money on wrapping paper; an estimated $2.6 billion in the United States, every year.
Bibliography:
Garber M, Wrapper’s Delight: a Brief History of Wrapping Paper, 2012, The Atlantic, http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/12/wrappers-delight-a-brief-history-of-wrapping-paper/266599/
Gift Wrapping, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gift_wrapping

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Christmas Card

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Christmas Card

“Have a very merry Christmas and fun handing out Christmas cards!” – from Ten Random Facts.

  • ‘Christmas cards’ are also known as ‘holiday cards’ and traditionally have greetings, commonly “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year”.
  • Christmas cards are traditionally exchanged during the Christmas season and are often posted or given out as early as November.
  • Printed Christmas cards were first produced by the Englishmen, Sir Henry Cole with artwork by John Horsley, in 1843, partly to make use of the new, cheap, postal service.
  • Christmas cards originally depicted the season of spring, typically flowers, unlike the Christmas designs now found on cards.
  • American Louis Prang significantly increased the popularity of Christmas cards, notably introducing the cards to America in the 1870s.

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  • Christmas cards are typically bought singularly or in packets of two or more, and can be found in supermarkets, department stores, newsagents and other shops, and they can also be purchased through charities to help raise funds for their organisation.
  • In 2005, residents of the United States sent 1.9 billion Christmas cards, and in 2008, the British sent nearly 670 million cards, although in the past decade their has been a decrease in the number of cards purchased, due to the higher costs of postage, cost of cards, economic climate, availability of e-cards and the use of email and social media.
  • Christmas cards are traditionally made of card (strong paper), but more recently electronic cards have been designed and are generally cheaper.
  • Christmas cards are commonly collected by many people, and Queen Mary’s (1867 – 1953) collection of cards is owned by the British Museum.
  • Of the 1000 Christmas cards that were printed for Sir Henry Cole, only 10-12 have survived the centuries, one of which sold in 2001 for £22,500.

If you would like to buy some Christmas cards depicted in the photograph, visit Imagine Make Believe.

Bibliography:
Christmas Card, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_card
Copper J, The History of Christmas Cards, Why Christmas, http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/cards.shtml

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Chandelier

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Chandelier

An important addition to all spectacular homes: a chandelier.

  • Chandeliers are large decorative light fittings, usually able to hold multiple bulbs or candles, and are hung from ceilings.
  • ‘Chandelier’ comes from the old French word ‘chandelabre’, that has its origins in the word ‘candelabrum’, a Latin word meaning ‘candlestick’.
  • The first chandeliers were originally wooden cross-sections that held candles during the Middle Ages.
  • Chandeliers are typically used for decoration and luminescence, and add a feeling of luxury, although they are not so common as they once were one or two centuries ago.
  • The largest Bohemian crystal chandelier in existence today weighs 6 tonnes (4.5 tons) and was given to Dolmabahçe Palace in Turkey, by Queen Victoria in the 19th century, however, larger crystal chandeliers can be seen, including a Swarovski crystal one in the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Oman, which is 8 metres wide and has a height of 14 metres.

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  • Chandeliers were historically made from wood, brass, iron and other metals, and glass and crystal were added to spectacularly disperse and reflect light throughout the room.
  • Chandeliers were originally only owned by the higher classes and were a symbol of wealth, and Dolmabahçe Palace in Turkey has one of the most extensive chandelier collections in the world.
  • Chandeliers were often powered by gas and electricity from the 1800s, and during that time, crystals were sometimes included.
  • Authentic chandeliers originating from the Middle Ages are quite rare, as most hung in churches and were destroyed in the 1500s due to the reformation.
  • Chandeliers have been produced in numerous different styles, and the largest chandelier in the world in 2010, called ‘Reflective Flow’ is a non-traditional chandelier that holds 165,000 LED lights, has a weight of 18, 000 kg (39, 683 lb), is 5.8 m (19 ft) tall, 12.5 m (41 ft) wide, and 38.5 m (126 ft 4 in) long, and hangs in the atrium of the Al Hitmi office building in Doha, Qatar.
Bibliography:
Chandelier, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandelier
History of Pendant Lamps – the Chandelier, 2010, Designboom, http://www.designboom.com/history/p_chandelier.html

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Sewing Machine

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Sewing Machine

Make clothes ten times faster using sewing machines.

  • Sewing machines are appliances that use fabric and thread, along with human guidance, to sew textiles together.
  • The first patent for a sewing machine is evidenced by a diagram, by the inventor Thomas Saint, and Englishman, in 1790, although there is a possibility that Charles Weisenthal, a German had already invented a machine 35 years earlier to go with a machine needle he had patented.
  • The inventors Isaac Singer and Elias Howe from the United States, significantly improved the early designs of sewing machines in the 1840s and 1850s, and are often credited as the inventors of the appliance.
  • Sewing machine production began in earnest in the 1850s, with the first saleable machines being those made by Isaac Singer, and they were used commercially.
  • Sewing machines were first purchased by the general public in the 1860s, often by women, which cut down their sewing time from approximately 14.5 hours by hand, to 1 hour using the machine and by 1863, the Singer Manufacturing Company were selling 20,000 machines a year for home use.

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  • The first feasible electric sewing machine was invented in 1889, originally being powered by a bulky, outer motor, and by the early 1900s, they were a popular item in homes.
  • Sewing machines usually have the ability to sew various stitches, and will generally include the two main basic stitches, straight stitch and zigzag stitch, and the stitch one chooses will depend on the type of fabric, the purpose of the stitch and the look of the stitch.
  • Sewing machines are primarily used to create clothes, but can be used to make other textile items like furnishings, toys and books.
  • Sewing machines normally include a foot pedal; needle; presser foot; bobbin winder; hand wheel; feed dogs and a number of other parts that are visible, as well as numerous parts inside the machine, including the motor.
  • Sewing machines replaced the significant, time consuming, hand sewing that was required to make clothes and other furnishings before the machine was invented, and this has significantly changed the clothing industry due to the speed in which clothes can be made, as well as the cost in making the garments, and it has also impacted greatly on the home, as women no longer need to make clothes as they can be bought so cheaply from shops, which has helped to give women the freedom to work outside the home.
Bibliography:
Sewing Machine, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewing_machine
Tague A, Sewing Machine Fact Sheet, 2013, Overstock, http://www.overstock.com/guides/sewing-machines-fact-sheet

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Compass (Mathematical)

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Compass (Mathematical)

Draw the best circles with compasses!

  • Compasses are stationery items that are primarily used to draw accurate circles and curves.
  • Compasses have previously been used to draw accurate diagrams, although in modern times, computer technology is more often used.
  • Today, compasses are often used in teaching, particularly in geometry subjects in mathematics.
  • Compasses are typically produced from materials of metal and plastic.
  • Compasses generally have two small rods, one with a point and one with a pencil holder, which are connected with a hinge, that gives the ability to change the angle of the rods.

Drawing compass, Metal, Silver, One, Single, Self, Mathematics, Geometry, Stationary, Ten Random Facts

  • Compasses are used to draw circles by placing the point and the pencil on the paper, pivoting it on the point, and putting pressure on the pencil.
  • Sizes of circles and curves can be altered by adjusting the angle of the compass.
  • Sometimes a compass has two pointed ends, and can be used as a ruler replacement, as a measurement tool particularly for maps.
  • Compasses are sometimes used as a symbol of accuracy and judgement.
  • It is believed the Greek mathematician, Euclid, from 300 BC, made use of a type of compass, and the Italian mathematician, Galileo, in the late 1500s or early 1600s, designed a compass, and sold them with an accompanying book.
Bibliography:
Compass (Drafting), 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compass_(drafting)

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                     Compass Drawings (Book)

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