Was the stapler made in Victorian times?

Answer 1

Yes, staplers were made in Victorian times, although they are not necessarily the FIRST staplers nor are they exactly like the modern stapler you're used to seeing.

"Legend" and little historic evidence holds that Louis XV of France owned a rather magnificent stapler during his reign in the 18th century. The staples were gilded and jewel encrusted, the device itself was handmade and he never really had the idea (or need I guess, he was a king after all) to market it to the world.

Then, sometime in 19th century America, stapler-like devices began to appear. The first to use something resembling a staple, that is, a short, thin metal shard, was patented in 1859 by Albert Kletzker of St. Louis, MO. His is not the only paper fastening device to appear around this time, and finally in 1879, New Yorker George McGill was awarded for what is widely considered the first commercially viable (and successful) stapler. The ubiquitous office device continued to evolve from there, with strip staples being introduced around 1895, and the first use of the word "stapler" outside a patent application appeared in 1901. Finally, in 1937, the patented and easy-to-use Swingline "Speed Stapler" debuted - the easy-to-use top loading design and stirp staples have remain largely unchanged to this day.