A Century of Autopoint

Autopoint mechanical pencils, first introduced a century ago, were manufactured by the millions and remain a common sight at antique shows and flea markets today. They were so well made that, as the author comments, “the rarest Autopoint is one that no longer works.”

A Century of Autopoint tells the story of this venerable company and those who have guided it through the last hundred years in its entirety for the first time, weaving together the lives of Charles Keeran (inventor of the Eversharp pencil) with forgotten inventor George Bergen, furniture maker Adolph Karpen, Bakelite founder Leo Baekeland, and inventors Frank Deli and John Lynn – among many others. The result is a fascinating and complex account of the development of the mechanical pencil industry in Chicago and how it was shaped by the evolution of the American plastics industry.