The Cardboard Box: Perhaps the Most Useful Mistake in History
Posted by Melissa on 7/8/2013 to
Packaging
What started as a mistake in 1817 has perhaps become one of the greatest products in history. That mistake was the cardboard box. In 1817, a man in England making seed bags stumbled upon an invention that is almost impossible to imagine living without. According to the legend of the cardboard box, the machine the man was using malfunctioned, and the machine produced a product resembling what is known today as the cardboard box. At that time in history, wood was used most often for boxing items. Although much more fragile than what one considers a cardboard box because cardboard did not exist in 1817, the original cardboard box was nonetheless developed. In the beginning, cardboard boxes were not very sturdy, and they could not handle much weight. But the idea was born, and it wouldn't be long before the cardboard box was sturdier and was able to hold heavier materials.
It wasn't until the 1880's that actual cardboard was developed. Then once cardboard was developed, it wouldn't be long until someone figured out that corrugated cardboard would be sturdier still. At that point cardboard boxes were able to replace much of the need for actual wood boxes, and the cardboard box as it is today was on its way to making history.
Today cardboard comes in many varieties. The shapes and uses that cardboard boxes have come to take are more than could ever have been imagined in 1817. From packaging snack food to packing furniture, the cardboard box serves a multitude of purposes. Is it even possible to imagine what packing, shipping, and moving would be like without a cardboard box? Maybe not, but one thing is certain, and that is that packing, shipping, and moving would be a lot more difficult.
It wasn't until the 1880's that actual cardboard was developed. Then once cardboard was developed, it wouldn't be long until someone figured out that corrugated cardboard would be sturdier still. At that point cardboard boxes were able to replace much of the need for actual wood boxes, and the cardboard box as it is today was on its way to making history.
Today cardboard comes in many varieties. The shapes and uses that cardboard boxes have come to take are more than could ever have been imagined in 1817. From packaging snack food to packing furniture, the cardboard box serves a multitude of purposes. Is it even possible to imagine what packing, shipping, and moving would be like without a cardboard box? Maybe not, but one thing is certain, and that is that packing, shipping, and moving would be a lot more difficult.
