The History of the Eraser

Before the invention of the rubber eraser, people used a very different tool to erase pencil marks. Believe it or not, they used rolled-up pieces of white bread. While bread was somewhat effective at removing pencil mistakes, it was not perfect. It would often rot or get moldy after a few days.

In 1770, an English engineer named Edward Nairne accidentally picked up a piece of rubber instead of his bread. He quickly realized that the rubber was much better at erasing pencil marks. ( 1 ), he began selling the world's first rubber erasers, which became very popular among artists and writers.

( 2 ), these early rubber erasers still had a major problem. They smelled bad and would easily melt and fall apart in hot weather. Fortunately, in 1839, Charles Goodyear invented a chemical process that made rubber strong and durable. This new process ( 3 ) the creation of the modern, long-lasting erasers we use today.

The History of the Eraser

Before the invention of the rubber eraser, people used a very different tool to erase pencil marks. Believe it or not, they used rolled-up pieces of white bread. While bread was somewhat effective at removing pencil mistakes, it was not perfect. It would often rot or get moldy after a few days.

In 1770, an English engineer named Edward Nairne accidentally picked up a piece of rubber instead of his bread. He quickly realized that the rubber was much better at erasing pencil marks. ( 1 ), he began selling the world's first rubber erasers, which became very popular among artists and writers.

( 2 ), these early rubber erasers still had a major problem. They smelled bad and would easily melt and fall apart in hot weather. Fortunately, in 1839, Charles Goodyear invented a chemical process that made rubber strong and durable. This new process ( 3 ) the creation of the modern, long-lasting erasers we use today.