July 19, 1999
The Pocket Protector
| The pocket protector is the badge of the nerd. According to
Michelle Slatalla in a recent article in The New York Times, Erell
Manufacturing in Chicago started making them in 1947 and still makes hundreds
of thousands a year, despite their nerdy image. The MIT
Museum Shop sells one that carries the legend, “MIT - Nerd Pride” for
$1.25, or you can buy a leather one from Levenger’s
for $19.95.
According to Edward Tenner, author of Why Things Bite Back, the nerdy image of the pocket protector stems from how useful it is. “. . . anything as aggressively useful as trying to protect your shirt from ink is anti-chic. The fact that the pocket protector is a joke is an example of the triumph of culture over technology.” |
Links:HomeOn-Line survey offering a free pocket protector (which, sadly, may no longer be available)
The quest for the ultimate pocket protector
Profile of Dave Farber, who carries a Mont Blanc pen in his pocket protector
On-line exhibition of (mostly surrealistic) pocket protectors
Officially licensed Fluke Corporation pocket protector. Order on-line ($1.65)