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History of the Filing Cabinet

Just like many of the items you use every single day, you may have never considered the history of the filing cabinet. It is easy to overlook something that seems so simple and commonplace and not think about how it really came to be. The first cabinet was created in 1886 by an American inventor named Henry Brown. Brown did not invent the traditional vertical cabinet that is widely used today. His invention was actually the horizontal or “lateral” cabinet that is much wider than its vertical counterpart. The first prototype was fire resistant and accident safe. It was a container that was used to store and preserve important papers and documents. The container was made of forged metal and could be locked. The invention stood out from others that may have been similar in appearance because it enabled the papers inside to be sorted and categorized instead of being piled up on top of one another. If you have ever had to dig through a tall stack of papers to find one single item, then you personally understand the importance of this invention.

It was not until 1898 that Edwin G. Seibels invented what is known today as the vertical filing cabinet. This type of cabinet is the most popular and widely used today and can be found in offices, businesses and homes. The invention of the vertical file cabinet revolutionized the act of filing and keeping track of records. Papers were once folded and stored in envelopes. Seibels did not think it was necessary to fold paper and went with his idea that papers could be kept in large envelopes unfolded, standing vertically in a drawer.

In 1950, the production of the filing cabinet was expanded due to the commercial distribution of Xerography machines. From there, the demand for filing cabinets grew, making these cabinets more and more popular. The need for these cabinets also grew as a result of the government. The government required businesses and companies to keep documentation of their business forms and other important papers. This in turn caused these businesses to need a system for keeping these important papers in an orderly manner that was very easily accessible. While many systems are being developed to store important data in computers, the need for these cabinets has not decreased.

As you can see, the filing cabinet has been around for quite some time and is still very popular today. While it was originally designed to store and preserve documents, its use has expanded to file and organize important papers that are used every day. They have proven to be extremely valuable when it comes to systematizing or cataloguing forms such as medical records, taxes, contracts, and so forth. They are widely used by businesses and are growing even more popular for personal organization within the home. It is interesting to see how an invention that seemed so simple at the time has become something that you can find in any office you might visit. They are worth their weight when it comes to keeping an orderly home or business.

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