popular science

76 POPULAR SCIENCE

by Bryan Gardiner / photograph by The Voorhes

The ubiquitous fastener we all use (and some fashion designers overuse) has under-

gone more than a century of reinements. It began with Elias Howe’s 1851 patent for

“a series of clasps united by a connecting-cord... running or sliding upon ribs.” Kind of

awkward. So, 40 years later, engineer Whitcomb Judson replaced the clasps with hooks

and eyes joined by a slider. Better. But in 1913, Otto Frederik Gideon Sundback added

a reliable interlocking system made of oval teeth. The then-president of B.F. Goodrich,

Bertram Work, bestowed the “zipper” moniker to a company- made boot that featured

one. The name stuck; the footwear did not. Like cola, the battle for the $16 billion+

international zipper market dominance became ierce. China is currently winning.

ITEM:

Zipper slider

INVENTED:

1851

USE:

Zipping