The first prototypes of mechanical pencils were not tools for draftsmen at all, but a display of noble wealth. Their bodies were made of gold and decorated with precious stones simply to stand out at social gatherings.
Over time, the status trinket became a basic consumable for jotting down groceries.
The instrument, designed to emphasize the owner's idleness, is now firmly associated with the hard labor of endless reports.
#historyofobjects #evolution #stationery
