I
n 1903, Richard S. Reynolds went to work for his uncle (tobacco king R.R. Reynolds) where they used thin sheets of tin-lead to wrap cigarettes & loose tobacco to protect them from moisture.
In 1919, after mastering the technique with foil, R.S. Reynolds opened his own business, the U.S. Foil Co. in Louisville, KY.Candy makers found that the tin wraps gave a tighter seal to the hard candy than wax paper, so they started buying the wraps too.
When the price of aluminum began to drop in the late '20s, R.S. Reynolds adapted the tin-lead wrap to use aluminum. At the time, aluminum was a fairly new metal and hadn't really been used.
Reynolds believed that the lightweight and noncorrosive metal was the wave of the future and expanded is business to be the first to offer home owners such things as: aluminum siding, windows, boats, pots & pans and kitchen utensils.
His most popular product, however, was the 1947 development of 0.0007 inch thick aluminum foil. It conducted heat rapidly, was lightweight, non-rusting, nontoxic, paper thin and sealed in moisture. When refrigerating foods it turned out to be odor-proof and light-proof.
Few products for the home were more rapidly and positively welcomed than aluminum foil.
Aluminium folie is zeer nuttig [just testing your threat - tee hee]
ReplyDeleteThat's amazing, Angelika! Although I think the older Reynolds guy was R.J. instead of what you called him. As a huffer, you should know stuff like that.
ReplyDeleteDid you know that's where many of the aluminum cans picked up in the morning by those alley entrepreneurs ends up? Under your pie crust. :)
Sigh.
I really liked this post. I like learning new things. Though I think you are jiving our pull. Or whatever.
I used to smoke the little filterless Camel cigarettes, so that's how I know they are made by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. I used to sit and stare at the pack as I sat at the bar all alone night after lonely night. R.J. Reynolds makes Winston and Salem brands too, but those have filters and the fiberglass in them will give you lung cancer so I always smoked filterless.
ReplyDeleteMax - The book I'm using Panati's Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things names R.R. Reynolds as the tobacco king.
ReplyDeleteI always thought it was RJ who made the foil. But whatever, LOL.
DP - Since there was English in that comment, I have not deleted it. ;-p
ReplyDelete