© Frank H. Jump
Robert Gair invented the corrugated box in 1890.
Brooklynite Robert Gair was a printer and paper bag maker in the 1870s. He invented the corrugated (reinforced) cardboard box by accident: a metal ruler normally used to crease bags shifted in position and cut the bag. Gair found that by cutting and creasing cardboard in one operation, he could make prefabricated cartons that were a cheaper alternative to the wood and metal boxes that merchandise had been shipped in.
Gair founded a paper empire and occupied several buildings in the area, many of which still bear his name. Information found at Wikipedia by way of Forgotten-NY.
