Alexandria, VA – When I retired from Tisara Photography, a friend asked what I would do next. A mosaic on the wall in the restaurant where we were lunching had my attention. “I want to learn to make mosaics and I want to research the history of everyday things.”
I’m doing both. You can see the mosaics at my in-home gallery, Serenity Place, and online at Tisaraphoto.com/SerenityGallery.html. My Memories and Musings column, https://thezebra.org/category/memories-and-musings/ has some stories of everyday things. The column deadlines nudge me to research and write the stories.
Have you ever wondered about the history of not-so-lowly paper clip? I have. As I began researching, one thing that especially piqued my curiosity was learning that the paper clip became a symbol of resistance in wartime! More about that later.
From The History of The… (thehistoryofthe.com): In the 13th century, parchment and early papers were often sewn together with thread. Later, people used wax seals and ribbons. It wasn’t until the 19th century that straight pins and staples became more common. “But those methods had downsides – pins could tear paper and ribbons required punching holes. A better solution was needed, a reusable, non-damaging device to keep paper together.”
Norwegian inventor Johan Vaaler, a patent clerk, is frequently credited with inventing the paper clip. He patented a paper fastener in Germany in 1899 and later in the U.S., but his design lacked the double loop we now associate with paper clips and didn’t work as well.
The double loop design Gem paper clip “was in widespread use by 1900 though no patent for it was ever filed. The Gem Manufacturing Company Ltd. in England likely produced it as early as the 1870s.
“Hundreds of alternative paper clip designs have been patented. However, none surpassed the Gem clip in popularity due to its simplicity and functionality.” (Source: Thoughtco.com)
The world’s largest paper clip by physical size is a stainless steel sculpture unveiled in May 2010. Created by Evgeny Stepovik in Miass, Russia, it measures 30 feet 5 inches in height, and 8 feet 11 inches in width. It weighs in at 1,168 pounds. (Source: GuinnessWorldRecords.com)
Another famous paper clip is the “World’s Largest Red Paper Clip” in Kipling, Saskatchewan, Canada. This sculpture made of solid steel was unveiled on July 12, 2007. At the time it was the world’s largest paper clip. It is 15 feet 2 inches tall, 3 feet 3 inches wide, 45 feet 6.75 inches in length, and weighs 3,043 pounds. It commemorates the story of Kyle MacDonald, who traded a single red paper clip into a house in 14 trades. The town of Kipling turned the paper clip sculpture into a tourist attraction and even hosts an annual Red Paper Clip Festival. (Source: townofkipling.ca)
Per Wikipedia+2, “The story began in 2005 when Canadian blogger Kyle MacDonald embarked on a social experiment inspired by the children’s game ‘Bigger, Better.’ Starting with a single red paperclip, MacDonald traded a series of increasingly valuable items—including a fish-shaped pen, a handcrafted doorknob, a camp stove, a Honda generator, a snowmobile, and ultimately a role in a movie—for progressively larger rewards. Exactly one year after his first trade on July 12, 2006, MacDonald completed his remarkable endeavor by trading for a modest two-story farmhouse in Kipling, which became known as the Red Paperclip.”
And how about the paper clip becoming a symbol of resistance? During World War II, Norwegians adopted the paper clip as a symbol of resistance against Nazi occupation. Since Vaaler was Norwegian, the clip became a quiet emblem of national pride and solidarity. People wore paper clips on their lapels in protest—a symbol of unity and defiance.
Paper clips, anyone?
Mosaic artist/photographer Nina Tisara is the founder of Living Legends of Alexandria.
