How the First Photocopier Was Invented | The Story of Xerox #shorts #documentary

How the First Photocopier Was Invented | The Story of Xerox #shorts #documentary How was the photocopier invented—and why did more than 20 companies reject the idea? In the 1930s, making copies of documents was slow, frustrating, and inconvenient. For New York patent worker Chester Carlson, it was a problem he faced constantly. So he began searching for a better way. Carlson became fascinated by photoconductivity and experimented with light, chemicals, static electricity, sulfur, and other materials. Then came October 22, 1938. Working with physicist Otto Kornei in a small rented room in Astoria, Queens, Carlson carried out the experiment that would change document copying forever. On a glass slide were the words: “10-22-38 ASTORIA.” Using a sulfur-coated zinc plate, static electricity, light, and fine powder, Carlson successfully produced the first xerographic image. The experiment worked. But almost nobody wanted his invention. Carlson approached company after company, and more than 20 rejected the technology. For years, his invention struggled to find commercial support. Then, in 1944, Battelle Memorial Institute agreed to help develop Carlson's process. In 1947, the Haloid Company joined the effort. The technology eventually became known as xerography—derived from words meaning “dry writing.” In 1949, Haloid introduced the Model A, an early commercial xerographic copier. But Carlson's original dream still hadn't been fully realized. Then everything changed in 1959. The Xerox 914 arrived. It became the first successful automatic plain-paper office copier, allowing users to place an ordinary document on the machine, press a button, and receive a copy on ordinary paper. More than 20 years after Carlson's experiment in Astoria, an idea rejected again and again had transformed office work. In this video: • Chester Carlson and the invention of xerography • How documents were copied before modern photocopiers • The first xerographic experiment • “10-22-38 ASTORIA” • Otto Kornei and Chester Carlson • How static electricity helped create copies • How xerography works • Why more than 20 companies rejected Carlson • Battelle Memorial Institute • Haloid and the origin of Xerox • The 1949 Model A copier • The Xerox 914 • How photocopiers changed office work • The history of the copy machine An invention rejected by more than 20 companies eventually became technology used in offices around the world. And it all began because one man was tired of making copies the hard way. #Photocopier #Xerox #Invention #ChesterCarlson #Xerography #TechnologyHistory #History #Engineering #OfficeTechnology #historydocumentary