3M Scoch WetorDry Masking Tape
notes: label: Description
content: Pressure sensitive masking tape was pioneered by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (later renamed 3M) in the early 1920s. While delivering sandpaper to an automotive shop, 3M lab technician Richard Drew saw a need for an easy to use tape to help painters apply masking material to cars. He told his bosses at 3M about the problem and was given permission to work on developing an adhesive tape that would hold well but release cleanly. After weeks of failed experimentation he was ordered to stop but kept working on creating a pressure sensitive tape anyway. Drew eventually triumphed and the result, Wetordry masking tape, was brought to market in 1925.
label: Description
content: The Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company was founded in 1902 as a mining operation, but soon began to use its minerals to make sandpaper. 3M continued its innovation in the next decades, going on to create such products as masking tape, reflective sheeting, synthetic fabrics, and sticky notes.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view (box fragments)
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Production and Manufacturing
label: Exhibition
content: American Enterprise
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of 3M Company
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2014.0063.08
label: catalog number
content: 2014.0063.08
label: accession number
content: 2014.0063
objectType: label: Object Name
content: box with masking tape
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: blue (overall color)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6 1/4 in x 6 1/4 in x 1 1/8 in; 15.875 cm x 15.875 cm x 2.8575 cm