Robert Gair facts for kids

Robert Gair was a clever inventor from Scotland. He was a printer and made paper bags. In 1879, he invented something super useful: the folding carton. You know, those cardboard boxes that come flat and you fold them into shape? That was his idea!

Robert Gair was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1839. When he was 14 years old, he moved across the ocean to the United States.

How a Mistake Led to a Great Idea

Robert Gair's big invention happened by accident! He was making paper bags. He used a metal ruler to help fold and crease the paper. One day, the ruler moved a little. Instead of just creasing the paper, it cut right through it!

This mistake gave Gair an amazing idea. He realized he could cut and crease thick paper, called paperboard, all at once. This way, he could make boxes that were already shaped and ready to be folded. These were called prefabricated cartons, meaning they were made in advance.

Growing His Business

Robert Gair's invention changed how many things were packaged. Later, in the 1900s, he also started making corrugated fiberboard shipping containers. These are the strong, wavy cardboard boxes used to ship products. His ideas were also used and improved by a company called E. S. & A. Robinson. They worked together for a long time.

Gair built a huge business around paper products. He owned many buildings in Brooklyn, New York. This area is now famous and called DUMBO. Many of the buildings there still have his name on them today!