The fuck is he talking about?
The Museum promotes research on the evolution of early office technology based on original documents and artifacts and disseminates information about the history of office equipment
www.officemuseum.com
When were paper clips introduced? The first paper clip was patented by Samuel B. Fay in 1867. This clip was originally intended primarily for attaching tickets to fabric, but the patent recognized that it could be used to attach papers together. We have found no advertisement for, or other mention of, the Fay design until 1896. In 1896, the
American Stationer announced that D. S. Gorman was the New York, NY, distributor for a "new paperclip," named "Clinch;" this clip used the Fay design. Also in 1896, the Cinch Clip Co., Buffalo, NY, was identified as the manufacturer of a paper clip named "Cinch," which also used the Fay design. It therefore appears unlikely that paper clips with the Fay design had significant, if any, sales prior to 1896. However, beginning in the late 1890s and for decades thereafter, the Fay design was widely advertised under many brand names for use in fastening papers. In 1918, the brand name "Fay" was used by the American Clip. Co. for a paper clip with the Fay patent design. A second paper clip design was patented by Erlman J. Wright in 1877. This clip was advertised at that time for use in fastening newspapers. A third paper clip was patented by Frank Angell in 1889.
The Gem paper clip, which was never patented, but which became by far the best selling paper clip in the U.S., was introduced in 1892 and has been advertised since 1893. In 1904, when Cushman & Denison applied for a trade mark for the Gem clip, the company stated that it had used the Gem brand name for clips since 1892. And in a 1922 advertisement for the Gem paper clip, Cushman & Denison stated, "Thirty years ago we placed on the market the first
'Gem' Clip."