| The first documented mention of it comes in 1736 | | | | named James Woodruff. In between the years 1864 |
| when the French scientist Charles Marie de la | | | | and 1866, James Woodruff visited a manufacturer of |
| Condamine sent a sample of this substance back to | | | | patent bathtubs that had identifying information in thin |
| France. | | | | rubber letters place on a wooden block that measured |
| The scientist Sir Joseph Priestley was the first to | | | | 4 inches by 6 inches. Woodruff reportedly had the |
| comment that this bouncy substance was efficient at | | | | idea that if these letters were created as molds, then |
| removing pencil marks from paper. This was in 1770, | | | | placed on a wooden backing, a more rubber stamp |
| and the name "rubber" was born because it could "rub | | | | could be made, and would be cheaper and more |
| out" marks. However, rubber was not commonly used | | | | efficient than metal-printing stamps. However, when he |
| for many years because of its tendency to become | | | | went to produce these stamps, the only ink available |
| smelly and rotten when the temperature changed. | | | | at the time ruined them, making them useless. So there |
| Charles Goodyear was the man that solved this | | | | is still debate to this day as to who the real first |
| problem. He was obsessed with finding a way to | | | | inventor of rubber stamps truly was. |
| make rubber work, so he would spend hours in the | | | | After the kinks were worked out, rubber stamping |
| kitchen mixing rubber with various household items, | | | | started becoming a common way to mark |
| such as pepper, salt, and castor oil. One day, he | | | | manufactured products and packages. Stamping |
| accidentally dropped rubber mixed with sulfur onto a | | | | companies gained more and more steam through the |
| hot stove, and the rubber was "cured". There were no | | | | Industrial Revolution and even more so through the |
| longer any sticky messes to deal with, and the many | | | | World Wars. However, it wasn't until the 1970's that |
| uses of rubber started to be realized. | | | | rubber stamping industry really took off, with |
| No one is quite sure who invented the rubber stamp. | | | | corporations using them for their correspondence, and |
| One commonly believed inventor is a man named L.F. | | | | when people took up stamping as an artistic hobby. |
| Witherell, who claimed that he created the rubber | | | | Nowadays there are companies that make custom |
| stamp in 1866 by cutting thick stencils out of thick | | | | made and self inking rubber stamps which are used |
| rubber packaging then placing the rubber on the back | | | | for the home, office, and classroom. Though we now |
| of a bedpost. However, Witherell could not produce | | | | see them all the time, it is important to remember that |
| this bedpost stamp when asked, claiming that it had | | | | stamps, just like every man-made product in our world, |
| been stolen. Another possible candidate is a man | | | | have a unique and wonderful history. |