In gathering the supplies to wrap Christmas gifts more than a few tape dispensers of Scotch tape were found around the house.
In 1930, an engineer, Richard Drew, at Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, invented a clear adhesive tape that required no moisture for the adhesive. At that time 3M made sandpaper and had only just gotten into the adhesive tape business. The product was originally called Cellulose Tape, but was later renamed Cellophane Tape. The brand name "Scotch" came from a customer who complained that there wasn't enough adhesive. The company rep was told by the customer to take his cheap product back to his Scotch bosses and add more adhesive.
The precursor to the handheld dispenser pictured above was originally made of stamped sheet metal in 1939. A molded plastic model of the 'snail' design came out the next year. The 3M product has so dominated the market that any clear adhesive tape is often referred to as "Scotch" tape. Chances are pretty high that you will have a roll or two of this tape in your household too.
What a great photo!
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