The class began with a short film called ‘Walt Disney’s original E.P.C.O.T film(1966). It was a very interesting film/ documentary. I was impressed by the transportation system planning done in Disney World at that time without much technological advancement. Later we had an engaging class discussion based on the film.
After discussing our teacher informed us that for next week we would be making mind maps for our specific objects. Later, we would be compiling all the individual mind maps into one huge mind map. We would be looking out for connections with each others objects. This seems fun.
On our mind maps we could add in information like- The founder of the object, social impact, cultural impact etc.
I am looking forward to this activity.
In this session, we were to submit the research papers for our objects- one sheet of paper that contained the basic summary of all the research that was done till now. This is mine:
The Yellow Pencil/ No.2 Pencil
History & How It was created– In the mid-16th century a storm uprooted a tree in England’s lake District. Clinging to the tree’s roots was a black shiny substance- graphite. In the 1600’s, a woodworker in England came up with the idea of enclosing black lead in wood. A rectangular wooden stick was chopped in half lengthwise. A groove was then cut into one of the halves to make room for a slim stick of black lead. The three pieces—the black lead and the two halves of wood—were glued together with the black lead inside. The result was a rectangular writing implement and the world’s first wooden pencils. In China, the colour yellow was used to signify ‘royalty’. In the late 1800’s, the best graphite available was found in China. That’s when the pencils were painted in yellow.
Cultural Change & Profits– The invention of the pencil had a huge impact on many phases of life throughout the world.
- It introduced a cheap and efficient method of writing which gave people a new way to communicate long distance in letters.
- The pencil became the standard writing utensil for school.
- It was commonly used in jobs for example-: giving carpenters a device to mark surfaces.
- Also, it gave artists a completely new dimension providing an erasable device for drawing. With one simple invention, so many aspects of our culture were improved.
When we talk about the social coding for my object, there’s no particular social code which has been followed. Anybody and everybody uses a pencil. It is one of the most essential tools. It was the device that writers and architects and scientists around the world reached for when they brought new creations and discoveries into the world. However, there is social coding when it comes to different types of writing tools. Reed pens are one of the first more sophisticated writing tools in history. They appeared after the carving tools and styluses and practically replaced them. Quills became the most sophisticated writing instruments for a long time. Gel pens are one of the most modern writing tools and are beloved for their strong lines and nice colors. They are used by both professionals and amateurs because of these characteristics. Chinese calligraphy uses ink brush and ink to emphasize motion and represent texts that are charged with dynamic life. Crayons are used by children but are still important in art. Digital Pens enable users to digitize their writings instantly on real paper, drawings and quick scribblings, share them online or edit them for professional use
Material wise the pencil has evolved drastically. In medieval times, scribes of manuscripts would have used a metal stylus, made of either lead or silver to rule lines onto the parchment pages to ensure that the writing would be straight. In the first part of the 16th century, locals discovered a large quantity of solid graphite in Borrowdale, near Keswick in the Lake District of England. The users of
which soon discovered that the graphite not only left marks upon the hand but also could become brittle when held in the hand. Early casings for the graphite included small pieces of sheepskin or lengths of string. They used bread crumbs to erase pencil marks. In time, the manufacturing process evolved to use a wooden casing, sawn into two halves and then carved out for the graphite stick. The two halves would then be glued together. This technique proved so successful that it has changed little in the last four centuries. Thoreau crushed graphite to different granulations to find the right consistency to produce a solid mixture with clay. Mechanical pencils have evolved significantly over the last century and now include models that feature liquid graphite, such as those marketed by Sharpie, the largest writing brand in North America.
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