Name/Title
A Story of Shears and ScissorsEntry/Object ID
2025.1.12Tags
wiss, historyDescription
This publication was produced to celebrate the first 100 years of J. Wiss & Sons Co, and American scissor manufacturer. It begins with the arrival of Swiss born Jacob Wiss in New Jersey in 1847 and recounts how, after working for another manufacturer, he decided to set up his own business. A brief history of the company up to the early 20th century is given.
The second chapter considers "the history and evolution of shears as a servant of mankind", from representations in Greek mythology to archaeological evidence from the fifth century. It discusses how scissors have "penetrated to so many levels of ordinary everyday activities that their usefulness is often taken for granted" and goes on to list some of the different uses for scissors within the home as well as types of specialised scissors for use in trades.
Chapter three returns to Wiss company history, beginning at the turn of the 20th century. Written in 1948 the potential challenges to the market ini the post-WWII years was very fresh.
Although clearly written with a company bias, the book still offers some interesting insights into the production, development, and distribution of scissors and shears. There is a good bibliography of periodicals and books, and a list of paintings which represent scissors and shears.Cataloged By
studygroup@scissornet.orgCreated By
studygroup@scissornet.orgCreate Date
March 12, 2025Updated By
studygroup@scissornet.orgUpdate Date
March 12, 2025