White is the new black - The origin of the whiteboards
- Francisco Silva
- Jan 7, 2021
- 2 min read
Fig. 1: A whiteboard
Whiteboards are an invention that replaced the chalkboards some of us (and definitely the teachers) grew up with. We seem to take them for granted, but it’s actually an invention that didn’t even exist until less than a century ago. I do miss using chalk and feeling the friction when writing in the chalkboard - but whiteboards are much, much more convenient. Chalkboards needed to be cleaned frequently with a wet cloth because some chalk would remain in the boards overtime, for example. But how did people come up with the idea of whiteboards? ´
In the late 1950s, the photographer Martin Heit has invented the idea of the whiteboard by using a marker pen to scribble on a board made with extra negative films he had next to his wall telephone, and he’d write down details on his calls in that board, that he could later clean easily with a tissue.
Fig. 2: Negative films
In the early 1960s, there are also claims that the worker Albert Stallion presented the whiteboard to the world, after he suggested in his steel manufacturing company that enamelled steel sheets (which are sometimes still used today in whiteboards!) could be useful in the writing board market. They didn’t really believe his idea had any potential, so he ended up founding the company Magiboards which began their whiteboard business.
Whiteboards didn’t become popular for a while until a non-toxic whiteboard marker pen was created in 1975 by Jerry Woolf, which allowed its ink to adhere to the surface of the board without it being absorbed, allowing it to be cleaned with a dry wipe – making it much easier to keep the board clean. The whiteboard picked up the pace in the 90s when schools began purchasing whiteboards, because the chalk-dust from chalkboards was believed to cause allergies to children.
So, what are the advantages of whiteboards over chalkboards, exactly? The main advantage would be the lack of dust when you use a whiteboard pen, while the chalkboard releases dust that can be irritable to humans and get into nearby electronic devices. And speaking of electronic devices, projectors became a nearly essential tool in classrooms, and whiteboards are a nice base for projectors to project their image. Besides that, the surface of whiteboards are magnetic, which allows the use of magnets on the board, which is pretty cool and useful. And last, but not least – there are several scientific studies that prove that dark text on a light background is easier to read, comprehend and retain. And the dark colour of chalkboards is often associated with feelings of fear, sadness, or anger.
Whiteboards are truly an impressive invention, overlooked by many, but used by many more. Chalkboards won’t be forgotten, however – they will always have a special place in our hearts. And bars. Happy hour at 8 PM – a bowl of tremoços FREE with your imperial!
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