PIN HISTORY.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVIII, Issue XXIV, 12 June 1897, Page 747

PIN HISTORY.

As a requisite of the toilet pins were first used in Britain in the latter part of the fifteenth century (says the Bosworth Commercial Bulletin.} They were first made of iron wire, but in 1540 brass ones were imported from France by Catherine Howard, Queen of Henry VIII. The prehistoric pin, however, was a thorn or a fish bone, and had no experience with or relation to the dry goods or notion business nntil Eve improved upon the fig leaf toilet necessities. The natural thorn is still used in some of the Upper Egypt districts, where the Birmingham or Connecticut article is a prime curiosity and an unpopular innovation. In the ruins of Pompeii Roman pine of bronze and hairpins of bone or ivory have been disinterred, while ancient Egypt has disclosed the indispensable article having heads of gold. Bronze pins were known to the lake dwellers of Europe, some being artistically ornamented and elaborated with exquisite skill. Some that have come to light were of the duplex type, having double stems, aud others the same in form as the safety pins in use at the present time. At first pins were made by fitting a point to a proper length of wire, and then twisting a piece of fine wire around the other extremity of fastening it after twisting in order to form a knob or head. Ultimately these operations were so skilfully conducted that a completely round head was made of a very small size and scarcely showing the nature of its construction. Previous to the introduction of machinery the pin was, of course, entirely hand made, and required a passage through no less than fourteen different manipulations before finding its way as a finished product into market. The brass pin which we see to day in its perfect form and almost needle pointed is turned out at an almost incredible speed by special machinery, the daily product of Birmingham alone being placed at about 40,000,000. The solid beaded pin, as differing from that just described, was devised by an in¥mious Yankee, and came into use in 1840. he domestic pin was of sufficient importance in 1543 to warrant an act providing that * no person shall put to sale any pins but such as shall be double-headed and have the heads soldered fast to the pin, well smoothed, the shanks well shapen, the point well rounded, filed, canted and sharpened.’ About 1700 the manufacture of pins became quite a business in Bristol ana Birmingham, employing a large number of persons. The pin industry in the United States was begun by colonists of the Carolains, bnt it was not until the year 1836 that it reached any considerable proportions, the pins used coming from England, although the black pins used in black goods came from France. The industry is now largely centred in Connecticut, although there are

large factories in Detroit, Cincinnati and various pointe in the Eastern States. As an article of domestic use the modern pin la now practically übiquitous and indispensable. The tonnage of metals annually used in its manufacture would astound any who have had no interest in looking into the subject, while the number of thousands of operatives employed in the manufacture of this special industry is surprising.