A brief history of the can opener: a late invention
What is fascinating is that the cans existed long before the invention of a really practical tool to open them.
In 1858, the American inventor Ezra Warner imagined the first functional can opener. His model, mainly used by the army, was effective but not very suitable for family kitchens.
A few years later, in 1870, William Lyman improved the concept by adding a rotating cutting wheel. This innovation makes the opening of the boxes simpler and more stable, laying the foundation for the models we know today.
Over the decades, the can opener evolves:
- Lever model (mid-19th century)
- More practical rotary version (late 19th century)
- Key boxes integrated at the beginning of the 20th century
- Electric box openers in the 1930’s
- Ergonomic manual models in the 1950’s
A beautiful illustration of how a everyday object is transformed through human ingenuity.
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