The history of inventions is pretty incredible, mainly due to the range of items worth looking into. In fact, something as deeply embedded into society as sitting has its own origin story that makes it well worth the time and effort. In this case, let’s look into something so mundane that people accept it as a part of society — well, aside from sitting. In this case, let’s talk about the history of the clipboard, including how it came to be, and the way it paved for the future of logistics.
I mean, who else is going to ask you “hey, do you want to hear about the history of the clipboard?” It seems so odd to look into the origin of something so common and mundane, but that’s what makes it so interesting! Without further ado, let’s deep dive into the history of the clipboard, and see if we can’t develop a little timeline!
Who invented the clipboard?
The earliest forms of the clipboard were patented in the late 1800s, where they were referred to as board clips. As far as the clipboard we know today, it was invented by George Henry Hohnsbeen as a means to make logistics easier to handle.
The clipboard’s key contributors (and evolution)
- James ShannonThe inventor of the Shannon Arch File
Looking deeper into the history of clipboards, we have the Shannon Arch File, an invention patented by James Shannon in 1877. Before then, some of the even earlier forms were patented around the 1870-1871, though information about the inventor is unknown.
- George Henry HohnsbeenThe inventor of the modern clipboard
While there have already been prototypes such as the board clips and the Shannon Arch File, it wasn’t until George Henry Hohnsbeen stepped into the fray that the clipboard became a household item. In many ways, he’s considered the inventor of the modern clipboard.
- NCR CorporationInventors of the first barcode scanner
While the clipboard was largely useful in the realm of logistics, it was only the first step in the process. In 1974, the NCR Corporation invented the very first barcode scanner. It was a means of uniquely identifying items electronically — a huge step forward compared to what the clipboard could accomplish.
- Charles WaltonInventor of the RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification)
With the invention of the barcode, it was much easier to manage the supply chain, though it wasn’t the last step in the process to improve logistics. In 1983, Charles Walton invented the RFID, which allowed even smoother logistics as line-of-sight was no longer required to identify items. As the predecessor of the original clipboard — giving supply chain management all the tools they need to optimize business ventures.
When was the clipboard invented?
The modern clipboard was invented by George Henry Hohnsbeen around 1908. The invention of the clipboard effectively started the rise of the supply chain. It not only started the supply chain trend, but it also acted as the foundation for future inventions.
A brief history of the clipboard
The clipboard has a surprising amount of history, as to look into the clipboard is to look into the history of supply chain management as a whole. Looking deeper into the history of clipboards, we have the Shannon Arch File, an invention patented by James Shannon in 1877. Before then, some of the even earlier forms were patented around the 1870-1871, though information about the inventor is unknown. These early clipboards, funny enough, were known as board clips. At that point, however, people were too focused on the complexities of a potential clipboard that they were unable to take full advantage of the product’s design.
While there have already been prototypes such as the board clips and the Shannon Arch File, it wasn’t until George Henry Hohnsbeen stepped into the fray that the clipboard became a household item. In many ways, he’s considered the inventor of the modern clipboard. The invention of the clipboard effectively started the rise of the supply chain. It not only started the supply chain trend, but it also acted as the foundation for future inventions.
While the clipboard was largely useful in the realm of logistics, it was only the first step in the process. In 1974, the NCR Corporation invented the very first barcode scanner. It was a means of uniquely identifying items electronically — a huge step forward compared to what the clipboard could accomplish.
With the invention of the barcode, it was much easier to manage the supply chain, though it wasn’t the last step in the process to improve logistics. In 1983, Charles Walton invented the RFID, which allowed even smoother logistics as line-of-sight was no longer required to identify items. As the predecessor of the original clipboard — giving supply chain management all the tools they need to optimize business ventures.
The clipboard timeline
- 1877The invention of the Shannon Arch File
Looking deeper into the history of clipboards, we have the Shannon Arch File, an invention patented by James Shannon in 1877. Before then, some of the even earlier forms were patented around the 1870-1871, though information about the inventor is unknown.
- 1908The invention of the modern clipboard
While there have already been prototypes such as the board clips and the Shannon Arch File, it wasn’t until George Henry Hohnsbeen stepped into the fray that the clipboard became a household item. In many ways, he’s considered the inventor of the modern clipboard.
- 1974The evolution of supply chain management through the barcode
In 1974, the NCR Corporation invented the very first barcode scanner. It was a means of uniquely identifying items electronically — a huge step forward compared to what the clipboard could accomplish.
- 1983Invention of the RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification)
With the invention of the barcode, it was much easier to manage the supply chain, though it wasn’t the last step in the process to improve logistics. In 1983, Charles Walton invented the RFID, which allowed even smoother logistics as line-of-sight was no longer required to identify items. As the predecessor of the original clipboard — giving supply chain management all the tools they need to optimize business ventures.
Where was the clipboard invented?
The clipboard was invented by George Henry Hohnsbeen in the United States.
The importance of the clipboard
- The beginning of supply chain management
Most business owners understand the stresses of supply chain management, even in the modern world. Things were even more scarce back in the day, prompting creatives such as George Henry Hohnsbeen to develop inventions such as the clipboard. The creation of such an important tool led to the beginning of supply chain management’s rise.
- Acting as the foundation of business management
It’s not easy to run a business if you can’t keep track of business ventures. Back in the day, the Internet didn’t exist, and there were no apps to help keep track of anything. Such was the reason why the clipboard was so important, as it eased the burden of business management.
- A highly underrated invention
Not everyone considers the clipboard today as an important invention despite its impact. After all, if there was anything you needed, you can handle it with a simple program. However, despite being a highly underrated invention, the clipboard has earned its place.
- A simple solution to a complicated problem
There’s no denying that business management can be rough, and supply chain management was practically impossible in the 1800s. The clipboard helps to act as a simple solution to a complicated problem.
The clipboard by the numbers
- 1870It’s said that around the 1870s, there were patents created for inventions remarkably close to the clipboard known as board clips. However, the design wasn’t quite there yet, and there was no focus on intended use.
- 1973As far as computing goes, the clipboard was a means for people to cut, copy, and paste temporary data. The term clipboard was used by Larry Tesler in 1973.
- 2The ever-faithful clipboard came in two primary designs: the single and folding clipboards. The clipboard is such a complete invention that it never really needed anything else.
- 1908The reason why the 1908 invention of George Henry Hohnsbeen is considered the definitive clipboard is due to its durability and convenient design. There really isn’t much to it, but it worked so well that people consider the 1908 invention as the true birth of the clipboard.
Five facts about the clipboard
- An industry dominated by paper
Controlling and managing a business was done purely by paper back in the day, before the dawn of the World Wide Web. It’s hard to imagine a time before the internet these days, but there was a time when the industry was dominated by paper. In those days, the clipboard reigned supreme.
- The reasoning behind the usefulness of the 1908 clipboard
As stated above, there were other inventions close enough to the clipboard, such as the Shannon Arch File and the board clips. However, the 1908 clipboard is considered the primary invention due to its ease of use and sturdiness. It also had a much more focused use.
- The invention behind the barcode
The barcode is widely known as the invention that put supply chain management on the map. Without the invention of the clipboard, it’s very likely that the barcode would not exist.
- An invention with a long history
The reason why we’re talking about supply chain management is due to what the clipboard stands for. It’s a surprisingly simple invention, yet allows people to handle logistics and trade with few issues. Trade goes all the way back thousands upon thousands of years, making it an invention with a surprisingly long history.
- The persistent design
The funny thing about the clipboard is it never really changed in design over the years. It had over a hundred years to improve the design, yet nothing really needed improvement. While it has certainly evolved through barcodes and RFID, the clipboard has always kept the same design.
FAQ about the clipboard
- Are there still uses for the clipboard today?
Absolutely. While many things can be accomplished with the help of the Internet and various pieces of data management software, there are going to be situations where a paper clipboard can’t be beat.
- What’s the relation between the physical and computing clipboard?
The latter is pretty much inspired by the former. The clipboard is a means to copy, cut, and paste temporary data. As a part of the office suite, the computer clipboard is just as useful as the real thing.
- How exactly did the clipboard help?
When the clipboard was invented in 1908, it opened the doors to a simple yet effective means of keeping paper data. That’s pretty much it, and it was useful enough to change the face of business management.
- Do offices still use physical clipboards?
For sure. There are some things that are better left on paper, and the clipboard helps keep things together and optimized work around the office.
