L. H. Thomas Co. – Ink Bottles Made of Paper

The L. H.  Thomas Company patented a process in 1883 and 1885 to manufacture ink bottles made of paper. At the time, it was expected this would revolutionize the manufacturing of ink bottles. The bottles were unbreakable and were produced more cheaply than bottles made of glass or stoneware. No packing material was needed to transport the bottles and, consequently, the reduced weight reduced the cost of transit.

Within a few years, however, the paper bottles fell out of use. The stout paper bottles did not have a proper pouring nozzle to fill an inkwell. And without a glass exterior, it was harder to determine how much ink was left in the container. Not many of these paper bottles exist today, given most of these bio-degradable containers ended up in the trash.

For a complete history of the L. H. Thomas Co. which includes a detailed explanation of how these paper ink bottles were made, visit this link to the “Made in Chicago Museum”: L. H. Thomas Co., est. 1863 – Made-in-Chicago Museum (madeinchicagomuseum.com)