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long ago as the year 1618 this mode was adopted； for
Sir John Pettus； who was deputy governor of the
Borrowdale mine under Charles II； in his 〃Fleta
Minor；〃 while； speaking of black…lead says； that 〃Of
late it is curiously formed into cases of deal or cedar
and so sold as dry pencils； something more useful than
pen and ink。〃 In a general way modern black…lead
pencils； are made by sawing cedar first into long
planks； and then into smaller rods； grooves are cut
out by means of a cutting machine moved by a fly…
wheel to such a depth as will receive a small layer of
black…lead； the pieces of the mineral are cut into thin
slabs and then into rods the same size as the grooves；
into which they are inserted； the two halves of the
case are then glued together； and the whole is turned
into a cylindrical form by means of a guage。
The kind of pencil called 〃crayon〃 is a mixture
of some kind of earth with a coloring substance。
The earth employed is sometimes chalk； and at other
times pipe…clay； gypsum； starch…flour； or ochre。 The
coloring substance is yellow ochre； mineral yellow；
chrome； red chalk； vermilion； indigoindeed； any of
the usual dry colors； according to the tint required。
Besides the earth and the color； there is a gummy liquid
required to combine them together； gum arabic； gum
tragacanth； and in some cases oil； wax； or suet； are
used as the third ingredient。 The crayons here alluded
to are employed rather for drawing than for writing；
but they obviously belong to the class of pencils in
their mode of action。
The ancients drew lines and letters with wooden
styles； and afterward an alloy of lead and tin was
used。 Pliny refers to the use of lead for ruling lines
on papyrus。 La Moine cites a document of 1387
ruled with graphite。 Slips of graphite in wooden
sticks （pencils） are mentioned by Gesner； of Zurich； in
1565； he credits England with the production。 They
are doubtless the product of the Borrowdale mine；
then lately discovered。 In the early part of the seventeenth
century black…lead pencils are distinctly described
by several writers。 They are noticed by
Ambrosinus； 1648； spoken of by Pettus； in 1683； as
inclosed in fir or cedar。
Red and black chalk pencils were used in Germany
in 1450； in fact； fragments of chalk； charcoal； and
shaped sticks of colored minerals had been in use
since times previous to all historic mention。
When Cortez landed in Mexico； in 1520； he found
the Aztecs using graphite crayons； which were probably
made from a mineral found in Sonora。
The firm of A。 W。 Faber are the largest manufacturers
of lead pencils in the world。 They have compiled
a history of this implement of handwriting which
they have permitted me to use in the story which
follows。
The lead pencil is an invention of modern times；
and its introduction may deservedly be ranked with
the large number of technical innovations in which
more especially the last three centuries have been so
rich； nor can it be denied that pencils have played
an important part in the diffusion of arts and sciences
and in facilitating study and intellectual intercourse。
To the classic ages and their art the pencil； and in
general every application of lead as a writing material；
was entirely unknown； and it was not till the advent
of the middle ages that it began to be used for this
purpose。 This lead； i。 e。 metallic lead； however； was
in no way equivalent to the graphite or black…lead of
our pencils； which are only honored with the prefix
of 〃lead；〃 owing to the leaden color of the writing
done with them。
Moreover； in those days； lead was used exclusively
for ruling and in no way for writing or drawing； it
was employed in the form of round； sharp…edged discs；
similar to those which； it is said； were already used
for the same purpose in ancient classic times。 It is
only with the development and growth of modern
painting that traces of pencil…like drawings first begin
to be met。 At so early a period even as the fourteenth
century； mention is made by the masters of that
time； more especially by the brothers Van Eyck； and
again in the fifteenth century by Menlink and others；
of studies or compositions which were made with an
instrument similar to a lead pencil； upon a paper with
chalk prepared surface。
This type of drawing was commonly classed as 〃silver…
style；〃 a term； however； which was no doubt
erroneous； as there could be no question of the use of
pure silver in this connection。
In the same way it is also reported of the later
mediaeval Italian artists that they drew their subjects
in 〃silver…style；〃 upon planished fig…tree wood； the
surface of which had been prepared with the powder
obtained from calcined bones；a method； however；
which seems only to have been employed in exceptional
instances。
But in the fourteenth century； drawings were frequently
done in Italy with pencils consisting of a
mixture cast from lead and tin； these drawings could
easily be erased with bread crumbs。
Petrarch's 〃Laura〃 was portrayed in this manner
by one of his contemporaries； and the method was
still in vogue in the days of Michael Angelo。 From
Italy these pencils subsequently found their way to
Germany； but it is not apparent under what particular
name。 In Italy itself they were called 〃stili；〃 the
equivalent of the word stylus。 At no time； however；
do these varieties seem to have been the predominating
material used for drawing purposes。
In conjunction with these； pens were used for
writing and drawing； and at the zenith of the art
period of those days black and red crayons were also
used on a large scale。 The Italians imported the best
qualities of red crayons from Germany； the best black
chalk being obtained from Spain。
Vasari writes of a certain sixteenth century artist；
that he was equally skillful in handling the stylus or
the pen； black chalk or red crayon。
It was this period which witnessed the discovery of
plumbago； a mineral which was soon worked up into
an entirely new material for writing and drawing；
the lead pencil。
This discovery； which was destined to confer such
great benefits not only upon practical life； but also
upon art； was made in England during the reign of
Queen Elizabeth； for in the year 1564 the celebrated
black…lead mines of Borrowdale； in Cumberland； were
discovered。 With the opening of this mine； the first
material steps were taken to implant on English soil
a lead pencil industry which in the course of time was
to assume important dimensions。
The first lead pencils are supposed to have been
manufactured in England in the second half of the
sixteenth century。 The raw plumbago； or 〃wad；〃 as
it was locally termed； was subjected to the following
treatment： 〃On reaching the surface it was sawn
into strips of the required size； and these； without any
further manipulation； were inserted into the wood。
Strange though it may appear； the lead pencils first
manufactured in this manner are acknowledged to have
been the bestand even at the beginning of the present
century they remained unsurpassed upon the
score of the softness and fine tone of the lead。 Although
the Cumberland lead pencils were in great demand
owing to the fact that they were the first to
successfully meet a long…felt want； they nevertheless
owed their permanent and wide…spread reputation
more especially in artistic circlesto their excellent
quality。
Towards the end of the last century the black…lead
pencil industry was introduced into France； where
with some restrictions it soon developed。
With the removal of all restrictions on industrial
freedom in 1795； the idea was entertained of using
clay as a binding medium for black…lead。 This
method offered several advantages； for not only did
the addition of clay cause a saving of a large percentage
of the valuable mineral； but it greatly facilitated
the method of manufacture； so that lead pencils
could now be offered at greatly reduced prices。
By these improvements a new era in the manufacture
of lead pencils was begun in France。 Still；
there remained much to be done in the field of black…
lead pencil making in order to do justice to the increasing
demands of art and the requirements of more
civilized life。
It is true； different kinds of lead pencils of various
degrees were produced； but they did not comply by a
long way with the different uses for which they were
needed。 The manipulation of the brittle material
required not only deep study； but also conscientious
and skillful workmen； in order to impart the necessary
standard of perfection to the lead pencil。
Among the various German industries the manufacture
of black…lead pencils occupied but a very
modest place。
The first traces of its existence are to be found at
Stein； a village not far from Nuremb