The Remarkable Invention of the Xerox Copier: A Journey Through Time
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Chapter 1: The Birth of the Copier
Eighty-five years ago, the Xerox copier was born, marking a significant advancement in document reproduction. Before October 22, 1938, American physicist Chester Carlson pioneered photocopying, a process that was previously labor-intensive and costly. His invention revolutionized office efficiency and brought him considerable wealth.
The original Xerox copier created by Chester Carlson — [Photo: See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons]
In today’s fast-paced world, making copies is effortless, but it was a different story 80 years ago. Chester Carlson, a Caltech physics graduate, worked in the patent department of P.R. Mallory and Co. (now known as Duracell). At that time, while photography had been established for a century, there was still no efficient method for duplicating documents.
With the global economy expanding, the demand for document reproduction surged. Many documents required copies, and creating each one involved painstakingly retyping text and meticulously verifying it for errors. For illustrations, the process necessitated sending materials to a photographic lab.
Section 1.1: The Challenge of Document Duplication
Both methods were not only tedious but also expensive. Aiming to simplify this cumbersome task, Chester Carlson dedicated himself to inventing a quicker, easier, and more affordable copying method. His extensive research in libraries led him to discover that certain materials, like sulfur, exhibited increased electrical conductivity when exposed to light. Inspired, he began experimenting in his kitchen, much to the annoyance of his neighbors, who had to endure sulfur-related explosions and unpleasant odors.
When he married, Carlson moved to his wife’s family home, where he employed a fellow physicist, Otto Kornei, who had fled Nazi Germany.
Subsection 1.1.1: The Historic First Copy
On the day they achieved their first successful reproduction, Carlson coated a zinc plate with sulfur. Kornei inscribed “10.-22.-38 ASTORIA” on a glass piece, referencing the date—October 22, 1938—and the Astoria neighborhood in New York where their lab was located. After preparing the plate, they applied an electric charge by rubbing it with a cloth and exposing it to a strong lamp for a brief moment. They then added pollen from a common fern, which remained only on the previously sulfur-covered areas after blowing off the excess. This process, which Carlson termed electrophotography, marked a pivotal moment in the history of copying.
Chapter 2: The Evolution of Xerox Technology
It took Carlson an additional decade to develop a prototype for the Xerox copier and to convince a company to manufacture it. Despite facing rejection from over 20 companies, including major players like IBM, Kodak, and General Electric, he found a breakthrough with the non-profit Battelle Development, which supported innovative projects.
In 1947, the Haloid company in Rochester decided to back Carlson’s invention. They rebranded as Haloid Xerox and publicly unveiled his creation. The copying technique was dubbed xerography, a term suggested by a Greek professor, derived from words meaning "dry writing," since the process did not require chemical baths like traditional photography. However, the initial machines were bulky and slow, making them impractical for everyday office use.
Section 2.1: The Breakthrough of the Xerox 914
The Xerox 914, launched in 1959, eliminated many of these issues. Although it weighed nearly 300 kg, it could produce seven copies per minute with the simplicity of a single button press. By 1963, the Xerox 813, a compact model suitable for desks, entered the market. The company flourished, making Carlson a wealthy man, much of which he generously donated to charitable causes and scientific endeavors. Remarkably, today’s fastest photocopiers can replicate up to 150 pages per minute.
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