| Copyright (c) 2008 Wes Fernley | | | | of the country, and today corkboards are a |
| Cork has been around for millennia. Cork bottle | | | | universal phenomenon around the world. |
| stoppers have been found in ancient Egyptian | | | | In those days, the lifespan of a patent was only |
| tombs. In ancient Greece, many items such as | | | | 17 years. Thus, the patent for George Brooks' |
| fishing net floats, sandals and bottle stoppers | | | | invention ran out in 1941. From then on, anyone |
| were made with cork. It was not until the end of | | | | would be able to create and market their own |
| the 19th century, however, that corkboard was | | | | versions of the product. |
| invented. | | | | In 1940, the first major innovation upon the |
| Throughout the ages, cork was produced same | | | | corkboard concept emerged. Another George, |
| as it ever was, with much of the cork going to | | | | George E. Fox received a patent for a similar |
| waste. In 1890, a German company began | | | | construction which could hang from a wall. Rather |
| collecting the waste cork particles and using a clay | | | | than using cork board, however, his pinboard used |
| binder to create an agglomerate cork sheet. The | | | | foam rubber with a cardboard backing. |
| next year an American by the name of John T. | | | | Popularity of corkboards and pinboards grew |
| Smith improved upon the process. Instead of | | | | rapidly. By the mid 1950's, use of push-pin bulletin |
| using a clay binder, Smith's process used heat and | | | | boards was fairly common among businesses |
| pressure to combine the waste cork together, | | | | throughout much of the United States, whether |
| created a pure agglomerated corkboard. | | | | they be corkboard bulletin boards or George Fox's |
| Initially, corkboard was used primarily as insulation. | | | | foam rubber version. In 1956, a new update to |
| This all changed in 1924 when George Brooks, a | | | | the design was developed. Earl Knudson with the |
| resident of Topeka, Kansas, patented a new use | | | | Modern Display Co. took Fox's design and replaced |
| for corkboard: as a bulletin board you could stick | | | | the foam rubber with fiberboard. |
| tacks into. A simple yet brilliant idea which has | | | | As popularity at workplaces grew, the corkboard |
| impacted the way we post messages to this day. | | | | soon began to become a common fixture in the |
| Also known as pinboards, bulletin boards and of | | | | home as well. Spouses could easily post notes to |
| course cork boards, George Brooks' invention is a | | | | each other, or notes for children. Today, as |
| mainstay in homes and offices around the world. | | | | technology continues to progress with computers, |
| Unfortunately, little is known about these earliest | | | | the Internet and more, bulletin boards are |
| pinboards aside from the patent issued by Brooks. | | | | becoming less ubiquitous, however they remain a |
| Most likely he manufactured and marketed it on a | | | | mainstay in offices and many homes throughout |
| small scale for the Topeka area. However, history | | | | the world. |
| tells us word did eventually spread to other parts | | | | |