Origin and Evolution of pencils

 A VISUAL HISTORY OF THE PENCIL

Origin and role of pencils in overall periods

- Oct 19, 2024

Title : Evolution of pencils 

Medium : Graphite

Date : AD perioa

Finding Site : not specified 

Size : varies 

Artist : Unknown

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Latin Origins :

The word pencil comes from the latin, penicillum , the name for a small, fine-tipped brush used for writing, which in turn is a diminutive form of the latin word for brush, peniculus, which in turn is a diminutive form of the Latin word penis, which means “tail.” This word was used for these very fine brushes because they were made from tufts of hair from the tails of animals.

The earliest instruments for making marks other than pen and ink on parchment, papyrus, or vellum was a metal stylus scratching into a wax-coated tablet. Codex, the Latin word for tree trunk, came to be used for the wax-coated wood tablet that became the precursor to the modern book. The sharp metal stylus was also a weapon in Roman times. Thomas, Astle, author of The Origins and Progress of Writing, describes how Caesar used a stylus to stab Cassius in the arm “in full senate,” and of the murder of Cassianus, who “was put to by his scholars, who killed him with their pugillares and styles.”

The modern pencil:

The modern pencil was invented in 1795 by Nicholas-Jacques Conte, a scientist serving in the army of Napoleon Bonaparte. The magic material that was so appropriate for the purpose was the form of pure carbon that we call graphite. It was first discovered in Europe, in Bavaria at the start of the fifteenth century; although the Aztecs had used it as a marker several hundred years earlier. 

Initially it was believed to be a form of lead and was called ‘plumbago’ or black lead (hence the ‘plumbers’ who mend our lead water-carrying pipes), a misnomer that still echoes in our talk of pencil ‘leads’. It was called graphite only in 1789, using the Greek word ‘graphein’ meaning ‘to write’. Pencil is an older word, derived from the Latin ‘pencillus’, meaning ‘little tail’, to describe the small ink brushes used for writing in the Middle Ages.

The Lead Pencil in the Middle Ages:

In the Middle ages styluses of metal were used on surfaces coated with chalklike substances, and slate pencils or chalk on slate tablets were also used. (Slate pencils continued to be sold in America into the late 19th Century.) The mixtures of metals used for the stylus evolved, and eventually alloys of lead with tin, bismuth and mercury were developed. Styluses of two parts lead, one part tin became known as plummets. Plummets also continued to be used into the 19th century in America, alongside pencils, goose-quills, and pens.

The earliest known description of a wood-cased lead pencil dates from a 1565 book on fossils by Konrad Gesner: “The stylus shown below is made for writing, from a sort of lead (which I have heard the English call antimony), shaved to a point and inserted into a wooden handle.” Lead, however, dirtied the hand, made a faint mark, and required considerable pressure.

Graphite Discovery:

Sometime in the 1560’s (the exact date is unknown) a chance event occurred which became the turning point in the development of the modern pencil. Local lore tells of a fierce storm In Cumberland, England, which uprooted a large ash tree (some versions of the story say oak), where shepherds discovered a strange black substance clinging to its roots. The locals quickly discovered this to be very useful for marking their sheep, and then gradually its application for writing was developed. By the end of the 16th Century graphite was well known throughout Europe for its superior line-making qualities, its eraseability, and the ability to re-draw on top of it with ink, which is not possible with lead or charcoal.

The substance was initially called Wadd, and also became known as white lead, black lead, bleiweiss, grafio piombino, bismuth, and plumbago. The Borrowdale deposit remains the only large scale deposit of graphite ever found in this solid form.

discovery of graphite:

By 1610 “black lead” was sold regularly in the streets in London wrapped in paper, string or twigs. 

Origin of pencils in India:

The origin of pencils in India can be traced back to the factories and homes of Pulwama, Kashmir. The Okhu village in Pulwama is known as the "Pencil Village" and is home to three factories that produce wooden slates, which are essential for pencil production. Hindustan Pencils, a well-known pencil manufacturer in India, relies on these factories for a significant portion of its raw materials. 

Here are some other pencil manufacturers in India:

Doms: Formerly known as Writefine Products, Doms was founded in 1974 by Rasiklal Raveshia, Mansukhlal Rajani, Harshad Raveshia, and Suresh Rajani.

• Maharashtra Pencil factory: Founded in the early 1970s by Kishandas Dhankani, this smaller pencil maker is based in Vasai and sells to OEMs. 

Pencils in India are made from vatta or poplar, which is indigenous to India

World wide evolution of pencils

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Author: shreelimn arts

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History of art in India 

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To be continue

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