Joseph Hardtmuth

Joseph Hardtmuth (February 13, 1758 Asparn an der Zaya - May 23, 1816 Vienna) was a successful Austrian architect, inventor and entrepreneur.

Inventions

In 1789 he invented a new kind of earthenware with a lead-free glaze for the harness production, the so-called Vienna porcelain. In 1810, he invented an artificial pumice and years later, a version of stoneware which was used to make mortars, funnels and other utensils. A flexible, unbreakable blackboard was also produced from the newly invented stoneware.

In 1792, Hardtmuth established a pencil factory in Vienna after he succeeded in creating an artificial graphite pencil by mixing powdered graphite with clay. Until that time, whole pieces, cut from graphite were glued in between wood and were imported from England. With the new method graphite of inferior quality could be used in pencil manufacturing, lowering the price and making the product more accessibile for the masses.

In 1848, Joseph's sons, Karl and Ludwig took over the family business, and the production was relocated to the Bohemian town of Budweis, which belongs now to the Czech Republic. The products were awarded in many world exhibitions, among which in 1855 in New York, 1856, 1900 and 1925 in Paris, 1862 in London, 1882 in Vienna and 1905 in Milan.

At the 1889 World Fair in Paris, the Hardtmuth's displayed their superior pencils rebranded as "Koh-I-Noor Hardtmuth". The new product which soon became a runaway success set the standard by which all other pencils were made, and graded. Each pencil was encased in a yellow cedar-wood barrel. The inspiration for the name was the famous Koh-i-Noor (meaning "Mountain of Light") diamond, part of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom and the largest diamond in the world at the time.

References

1. Petroski, Henry (1990). The Pencil: a history of design and circumstance. Random House. pp. 385–407. ISBN 0394574222.

External links

• the Koh-i-noor website - current website for the company.
• THE KOH-I-NOOR HARDTMUTH story, a tradition of innovation - ChartPak's write up.