Richard Drew (inventor)
Encyclopedia
Richard Gurley Drew was an American
inventor who worked for Johnson and Johnson, Permacel Co., and 3M
in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he invented masking tape
and cellophane
tape.
. While testing their new Wetordry sandpaper at auto shops, Drew was intrigued to learn that the two-tone auto paintjobs so popular in the Roaring Twenties
were difficult to manage at the border between the two colors. In response, after two years of work in 3M's labs, Drew invented the first masking tape
(1923), a two-inch-wide tan paper strip backed with a light, pressure sensitive adhesive
.
The first tape that had adhesive along its edges but not in the middle. In its first trial run, it fell off the car and the frustrated auto painter growled at Drew, "Take this tape back to those Scotch bosses of yours and tell them to shove it!" (By "Scotch," he meant "parsimonious".) The nickname stuck, both to Drew's improved masking tape, and to his 1930 invention, Scotch Brand cellulose tape
.
In 1930 he came up with the world's first transparent cellophane adhesive tape (called sellotape
in the UK
and Scotch tape in the United States). In the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash of 1929
, people began using tape to repair items rather than replace them. This was the beginning of 3M’s diversification into all manner of marketplaces and helped them to flourish in spite of the Great Depression
.
Drew died in 1980 in Santa Barbara, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
inventor who worked for Johnson and Johnson, Permacel Co., and 3M
3M
3M Company , formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States....
in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he invented masking tape
Masking tape
Masking tape is a type of pressure sensitive tape made of a thin and easy-to-tear paper, and an easily released pressure sensitive adhesive. It is available in a variety of widths. It is used mainly in painting, to mask off areas that should not be painted...
and cellophane
Cellophane
Cellophane is a thin, transparent sheet made of regenerated cellulose. Its low permeability to air, oils, greases, bacteria and water makes it useful for food packaging...
tape.
Biography
When Drew joined 3M in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1924, it was a modest manufacturer of sandpaperSandpaper
Sandpaper, also known as glasspaper, is a heavy paper with abrasive material attached to its surface.Sandpaper is part of the "coated abrasives" family of abrasive products. It is used to remove small amounts of material from surfaces, either to make them smoother , to remove a layer of material...
. While testing their new Wetordry sandpaper at auto shops, Drew was intrigued to learn that the two-tone auto paintjobs so popular in the Roaring Twenties
Roaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties is a phrase used to describe the 1920s, principally in North America, but also in London, Berlin and Paris for a period of sustained economic prosperity. The phrase was meant to emphasize the period's social, artistic, and cultural dynamism...
were difficult to manage at the border between the two colors. In response, after two years of work in 3M's labs, Drew invented the first masking tape
Masking tape
Masking tape is a type of pressure sensitive tape made of a thin and easy-to-tear paper, and an easily released pressure sensitive adhesive. It is available in a variety of widths. It is used mainly in painting, to mask off areas that should not be painted...
(1923), a two-inch-wide tan paper strip backed with a light, pressure sensitive adhesive
Pressure sensitive adhesive
Pressure sensitive adhesive is adhesive which forms a bond when pressure is applied to marry the adhesive with the adherend...
.
The first tape that had adhesive along its edges but not in the middle. In its first trial run, it fell off the car and the frustrated auto painter growled at Drew, "Take this tape back to those Scotch bosses of yours and tell them to shove it!" (By "Scotch," he meant "parsimonious".) The nickname stuck, both to Drew's improved masking tape, and to his 1930 invention, Scotch Brand cellulose tape
Scotch Tape
Scotch Tape is a brand name used for certain pressure sensitive tapes manufactured by 3M as part of the company's Scotch brand.- History :The precursor to the current tapes was developed in the 1930s in Minneapolis, Minnesota by Richard Drew to seal a then-new transparent material known as...
.
In 1930 he came up with the world's first transparent cellophane adhesive tape (called sellotape
Sellotape
Sellotape is a British brand of transparent, cellulose-based, pressure sensitive adhesive tape, and is the leading brand of clear, pressure sensitive tape in the United Kingdom. Sellotape is generally used for joining, sealing, attaching and mending...
in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Scotch tape in the United States). In the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash of 1929
Wall Street Crash of 1929
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 , also known as the Great Crash, and the Stock Market Crash of 1929, was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the United States, taking into consideration the full extent and duration of its fallout...
, people began using tape to repair items rather than replace them. This was the beginning of 3M’s diversification into all manner of marketplaces and helped them to flourish in spite of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
Drew died in 1980 in Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
.