The Invention of the Cardboard Box

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In this video:
The cardboard box goes largely unappreciated. Yet, it is indispensable to our daily living. It holds all of our knick-knacks and personal mementos when we move or have things shipped. It holds our breakfast cereal. It has been used for countless children’s art projects; fashioned into a robot head or a horse’s body. Heck, it is even in the International Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York. As with a lot of things that have become commonplace, hardly any thought has been put into how and why it is was invented and by whom. In fact, the history of the cardboard box, besides rarely being talked about, isn’t particularly well documented either. However, cobbled together through several sources, patents, and old forgotten texts, we can start to piece together the story of the ubiquitous cardboard box.
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Sources:
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ohioline.osu.ed...
www.toyhalloffa...
sciencelens.co....
en.wikipedia.or...
www.ipst.gatech...
Image Credit:
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[@TodayIFoundOut]

Now that you know all about the invention of the cardboard box check out this video and find out how Post-It Notes Were Invented By Accident: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oYfVoIOcqq9pZqs

[@IrishMike22]

I'm not going to check and continue on assuming I'm the first person to make this joke. Also I know that I'm funny and good-looking because my mom told me that I am. "Something, something, Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (pause for laughter) Post-it notes."

[@huffpuff6336]

A two year old, pinned comment from the uploader that only has one like and one reply? Now that’s a first.

[@johnfrank3575]

Boy, am I excited to learn about the greatest stealth infiltration tool ever!

[@TorquemadaTwist]

John Frank Snake!

[@SomeGuy1117]

John Frank +

[@awfullygenericname6783]

Bruce Dunn SNAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Rizz_Messiah]

John Frank !

[@ratatataraxia]

John Frank !

[@RandomAmerican3000]

National Biscuit Company.... How have I gotten this far in life without realizing that is what Nabisco stood for?

[@borderlineiq]

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing much?

[@tentringer4065]

besiege: to lay siege to.

[@StephenMortimer]

another.. how many did he irritate with this ? Hiskey you need take your speaking stooge in hand !!

[@krashd]

The Game of Bye, Saigon

[@Aeturnalis]

Seems like he thought it was a German word lol fair mistake, I suppose. Of course, if "besieging" were a German word, it wouldn't be pronounced like "by-sigging," more be "ba-zeeg-ink." His Gerglish is awful lol

[@Michael500ca]

The cardboard box! Cats world wide endorse this product.

[@oroshithegodeater2590]

Also Snakes :)

[@jamesslick4790]

As one who actually spent two decades in a factory making corrugated fiber shipping materials, (Cardboard boxes to the "civilians") Me and my cat agree!!

[@dirkgroovy7207]

"We don't make mistakes, We just have happy accidents" - Bob Ross

[@dirkgroovy7207]

:)

[@christianraquepo]

Dirk Groovy 😀

[@hadara69]

"...it's YOUR world."

[@christianraquepo]

Golgotha_Mythos69 well it is

[@jackc3727]

true

[@xxXthekevXxx]

2:17 “by-sigging” 😂

[@Youngm1984]

how does he make learning about the smallest things so fun. love this channel

[@EvilPaladin11]

He forgot to mention its use as a vital tool for tactical espionage.

[@lazlodallama8994]

Big Boss probably approves this video.

[@arooobine]

Only Today I Found Out goes so far as to read over patents when doing research. Good job guys!

[@TodayIFoundOut]

It's the little things like that that make the difference, I think. ;-)

[@deanseawa]

Benjamin Hershey - but yet they don't even spend two seconds trying to research how to pronounce the things that they're talking about. I guess as long as the audience doesn't know any better then it's perfectly okay for them to be wrong.

[@keriezy]

*Invented for the enjoyment of cats and toddlers on every continent. "BOXES!"*

[@macsnafu]

, not .

[@Koala1203]

0:32 and its also Solid Snake's preferred method of hiding.

[@carlscottamos6501]

Most American's know the A&P grocery store chain, but have never heard of The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company. Have you made a video on how Grocery Stores started? Was Piggly Wiggly the first?

[@prisoneralex2752]

I have a deep passion for cardboard, UPS employee for 17 years!

[@tellarite3000]

Oddly, I never thought about cardboard boxes needing to be "invented". It's just something that you take for granted. Nice video!

[@billswingle2672]

Your research skills are terrific!

[@harveyabel1354]

Once a month, the postlady brings me cardboard boxes with my latest shipment of comics (yay) and once a month, our three kitties get new cardboard boxes to play in and sleep in (mew!). I like cardboard boxes.

[@xxXthekevXxx]

Harvey Abel so cute 😻

[@mrbigshoworelse]

You know you're successful when you can make a cardboard box sound this interesting to over 60,000 people

[@JohnnyKronaz]

Fun fact: If you handcuffed Simon's hands behind his back, he'd be unable to speak.

[@doubledarefan]

I wonder if deaf people wish Simon and Daven would use actual sign language.

[@harveyabel1354]

Eh, I personally am cool as long as the videos continue to be closed captioned.

[@JC-ks3yk]

That would solve the mispronunciation problems....

[@hadara69]

So what you're telling me is boxes and METAL were basically invented the same way, through an industrial accident. Thank you, Tony Iommi and nameless, incompetant, Victorian factory worker!

[@md_vandenberg]

"A cardboard box. A cardboard box usually consists of a thin pasteboard with a corrugated paper center. They are usually made of recycled paper. It was first invented in Europe over one hundred years ago. It was originally used to absorb one's sweat when wearing hats. With the same amount of wood to make one wooden box, you can make six or seven cardboard boxes. And since it's recyclable, it's highly economical. In addition, it is strong and easy to store. That is why it is widely used for packing. But to avoid damaging weapons and other delicate instruments when shipping them, they should be packed in stronger boxes, like... wood or something. Also, the crevices should be filled with Styrofoam to prevent them from moving around. ...So anyway, what's with the box?" "Oh nothing. No big deal."

[@nurmaybooba]

OMG what did cats sit in before the box!

[@AngryReptileKeeper]

Bags, baskets, pots, kettles, etc.

[@Joeobrown1]

the story of how two brothers and five other men parlayed a small business loan into a thriving paper goods concern is a long and interesting one, and here it is

[@baddmanaz]

This episode is PACKED with interesting info

[@dalekmoon]

I thought I'd be 'board' , I was so wrong! ♥

[@EvilPaladin11]

Glyn Oh you! :-P

[@4grammaton]

I was literally playing metal gear solid when I saw this video just now.

[@rickyrico80]

You murdered the pronunciation of Besieging 😂

[@wcjerky]

I saw 'happy accident' in the video photo. I immediately opened a new tab and started watching Bob Ross videos.

[@Michael-rx7ff]

Why do european sirens sound different?

[@Michael-rx7ff]

simhopp Absolutely. That's why I'm wondering which is the most effective or if it even makes a difference.

[@uruiamnot]

You mean the ones from Greek mythology?

[@dobypilgrim6160]

Here is one for you...why is a railroad bridge almost always called a "trestle" and why does that term almost always apply only to railroads and not other bridges?

[@Aeturnalis]

Besieging isn't a German word, it's an English word and it's pronounced /bəsidʒɪŋ/ (like ba-seej-ing). In German, it would be "Das Spiel der Belagerung." :) just trying to help

[@jonfeist1400]

Don't get me wrong, I love learning facts, but mostly I'm a Whistlerhead.

[@Melissa0774]

Lol, reminds me of that Simpsons episode where they went to the box factory.

[@OrozindesSNunes]

Snake liked this!

[@katehaley3740]

Can you do a video about penicillin? For example, I had no idea it was only discovered in the 1940's. Did anyone find it on accident before then without knowing what it was? Perhaps using it as a home remedy? I feel like there could be a cool story behind penicillin even if what I suggested isn't remotely close.

[@MikeOfKorea]

Is it a rule with this channel to mispronounce a common English word in each video? Today it is "besiege".

[@xxXthekevXxx]

Omg that was so bad 😂 poor Simon... he tries. He even has apps to help him when he can’t pronounce a word lol.

[@gfox9295]

I think he misinterpreted it as a German word somehow?

[@mierbeuker8148]

It's a way of generating comments, which is proven when you read through the comments here XD

[@IrishMike22]

Remember the show "Modern Marvels" on the History Channel? It was a fantastic, well researched program when first produced. I would find myself absolutely riveted about mundane things like dirt or water or rubber. This channel is even better. The "boring" topics always have such an interesting history and we get to meet some quirky historical figures and delve into some little known events or phenomenon. Well done cast and crew, top to bottom; continue the outstanding quality and your subscribers will continue the referrals. Good show lads! Cheers!

[@heinrichhimmler8723]

Simon Simon he's our man, if he can't do it no one can

[@davidbuschhorn6539]

I used to work for a machine shop. The owner of one of our customers had built his own oaken boxes back in the 1960s. We still used them to ship the parts back and forth, across town, at least into the early 2000s. They're no good if you're paying for shipping by weight, but for long-term use? That guy probably saved thousands of dollars per box.

[@miguelgutierrez3495]

My cats loved you video!

[@KronosVengence]

Yea! I love boxes! Cardboard is cool too.

[@KowboyUSA]

Yippee! Cardboard boxes were the only toys I got as a kid.

[@am2pm365]

kids will play with the box before the toys that came in it

[@wilsonthomas975]

In case it did not pop out to you, the reference to 'The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company' as a major early purchaser of cardboard was more commonly known as 'A&P' grocery stores and products in the U.S. and Canada.

[@vanrozay8871]

"by-sigg-ing" as a pronunciation of besieging? huh?!

[@KateGladstone]

Dr. Cowell - "Besieging" is an English word, not German (even though it occurs in the English translation of the name of that German board game you mention). The word is pronounced "be-SEE-jing," sir.

[@ghost2coast296]

Today I found out I've been mispronouncing "Besiege" all my life

[@michaelpecorella950]

Bee-seege-ing.

[@StephenMortimer]

bee-seej-ing

[@stevescoffee8325]

Car--d--board

[@KodakYarr]

Many thanks for dropping the strange effect on the voice over of quotes. You haven't used it for a while now, but I thought I'd let you know I appreciate it anyway!

[@larisael-netanany488]

Question: Why are utensil sets and hosting plates and bowls are sold in multiplications of six?

[@nickkk420]

Larisa El-Netanany average family and 2 guests I'm guessing

[@mgelliott86]

most of the ones i see are sets of four

[@ozzzzy52]

This reminds me I need to start packing. I'm moving in a few days ...

[@DanielCollins85]

This is my life. Sitting at 1am on a Wednesday morning watching a video about how the invention of the cardboard box came about....

[@krashd]

"So, God, you've just finished with the big fish and the little fish, any idea what you'll create next?" -Abraham

[@StephenMortimer]

Bi-sig-ing or "bee-seej-ing" ??

[@SalamanderMagic]

Stephen Mortimer second one obviously

[@anthonyhadsell2673]

Stephen Mortimer I'm American and I use the second

[@FrostFireXI]

In Simon's defense, I only could figure out that word because I own the game Besiege. If presented with that word and told it's german I would try to pronounce it like it was german

[@nialltracey2599]

However, it was translated into English. It wasn't Der Spiel or whatever...

[@IrishMike22]

Frost Fire ........and "bi-cig-eeng" is nowhere near the Ariandikcandeutschlandishianese pronunciation, if I remember correctly.

[@AngryReptileKeeper]

I'm a firm believer that the cardboard box is one of mankind's greatest inventions, so I was happy to find this video.

[@toonbat]

The story of how two brothers (and five other men) parlayed a small business loan into a thriving paper goods concern is a long and interesting one...

[@judydoyle1124]

I watch a lot of these videos. Content is great. I find Simon's mispronouncing of words charming and funny. I wonder why no one edits his speaking

[@Ozzy_2014]

thank you for thinking neither inside or outside of the box but of the box itself!

[@omniemon]

Please do the real history of Gum, and the Chicle tree, and its modern day production with Butadiene.

[@PeterEdin]

I thought the ancient Egyptians invented paper.

[@bentleykennedy-stone673]

that was papyrus

[@nathanmcnee3343]

Aren't boxes so interesting? I guess he can make anything interesting.

[@cliffordhodge1449]

You forgot to mention that the large cardboard boxes large appliances came in used to make great forts for the kids. :)

[@sitchreapotere1073]

Besieging... Your British is showing.

[@tristanroberts]

Sitchrea Potere nah, that's not a British pronunciation, it's just weird and wrong

[@StephenMortimer]

Yup.. that got me too !!

[@FishFind3000]

Sitchrea Potere yea he fucking murdered that word.

[@CW-nj2fn]

Yeah that was a catastrophically wrong pronunciation lol

[@papaquonis]

English isn't my first language, and I still cringed so hard when he said that.

[@pinecone5129]

good. now who made the foam takeout box?

[@Noah-le2sm]

Why is hitting a target called a bull's eye?

[@drivesthecar3247]

Tell us about packaging before cardboard. When everything was shipped in wooden crates by the 100 weight. You ever wonder when you're watching an old western and somebody has been put in jail and somebody else just happens to find a crate to stand on to talk to them through the window? That's because everything was shipped by rail in wooden crates and there were spare empty wooden crates lying everywhere. When you ordered from Sears, Montgomery Ward, Abercrombie & Fitch... Any of those old catalog companies, your purchase would be shipped in a wooden crate by the hundredweight. So if the stove you ordered only weighed 150 lb you could fill out the rest of that (200#) with more stuff, a bolt or two of cloth, a few spools of thread, a couple packages of needles, a couple books of sheet music, a couple packages of therapeutic paper and finally a case of strike-anywhere anywhere safety matches for the stove.

[@poisonedivysaur]

box is life box is love.

[@stevescoffee8325]

The card box is my favorite toy :D (I got it for Christmas)

[@tohopes]

Thought I heard Simon talking about M. Bison from Street Fighter so I had to rewind to hear that part again..

[@frankharr9466]

0:32 ROCHESTERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! I'm very proud.

[@Sgt-Gravy]

I loved working for greatplains packaging

[@MatthewNJDavis]

Hey! you've just gone over 1m subscribers! Well done you!

[@HWFchamp]

Shipping manager here. Thanks for this!

[@nxm.2368]

thank you for making this!

[@TorquemadaTwist]

Where did hobos live before this?

[@6Glitch]

Is that how British people pronounce "besieging"or did he just pronounce it wrong?

[@kaiseriv8483]

Im watching a video about card board boxes at 1 am. What went wrong?

[@MrCardeso]

That's not how you pronounce "besieging" today. Was that an old pronunciation?

[@beau9956]

it is proper English pronunciation.

[@MrCardeso]

I looked it up before commenting. I cannot find an alternate pronunciation of that word other than the one with the soft g. Can you provide a reference that shows otherwise?

[@maesterlaemon7743]

You are correct, it is NOT proper English pronunciation.

[@beau9956]

no problem, I have an alternate pronunciation of the word for you buddy. and good job in requesting references and sources. never just blindly trust what some idiot on youtube tells you. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2HHZ4aJoraGrac ^ that is the reference that shows the other example of the pronunciation.

[@MrCardeso]

everybody is a comedian... :)

[@brianartillery]

I hate to pull you up, but at 2:12, you mention the old game 'The Game Of Besieging'. That last word is pronounced 'Bee-see-jing', meaning to lay siege to a fortification, town, or city. I wasn't at all surprised that it was German.

[@oxcart4172]

I thought it might've been invented by a cat!

[@MorganEarlJones]

"trade among the empires of Europe and China" Abbasid Caliphate: *manufacturing large amounts of paper* Abbasid Caliphate: *literally manufacturing most of the paper used in the middle east and Europe up to the Mongol sack of Baghdad*

[@garlicbreadstick404]

sitting inside a cardboard box gives me inner peace, somehow

[@ZeldaWolf2000]

Why do some of your videos have subtitles, and others don't? I really feel like that something you guys can work on. Consistently making your videos accessible to everybody. Especially because your educational channel. You want to be able to educate everybody.

[@ThePatrickBateman69]

So much innovation for my Yeezy Boost box

[@klockwurk]

It's the first time I've noticed that Simon wasn't looking at the camera, but past it... It was a little distracting. Interesting video none the less!

[@simonenoli4418]

Louis Coetzee thats because hes reading off the script as he always does.

[@tc2241]

I want that sweater

[@jayphilbin2871]

This seems to conflate cardboard box with corrugated cardboard box - both tend to have different uses.

[@nlcwilson2017]

dang man you got a pristine voice

[@chawndel8279]

Besieging 😂😂😂

[@surelysuperior]

Yay Rochester, NY.

[@myhatcollection2194]

Hey, a question for you :) : Why does snoozing your alarm clock delay the alarm by 9 minutes? (Instead of a round number like 10)

[@danimickelson8531]

More people need to reuse cardboard boxes. I know BoxGiver is a good place to give them away

[@BrianH1313]

Time to box it up.

[@Polo-rp9hk]

It's a happcident!!

[@MelissaKibrick]

Now I really want a video on The Game of Besieging.

[@bostonjedi]

👍🏻 Thank you!!

[@hofmeister15]

This guy is a KZbin legend

[@slusheewolf2143]

Cities: Skylines brought me here with the fake commercial of the story of how boxes exist lol