It is said that all great inventions come about by seeing a need and filling it. Earl Dickson came upon a need for a small, convenient to use bandage, and filled that need. The result is the Band-Aid® Adhesive Bandage which is used around the world. Mr. Dickson's invention is so commonly used that the name, Band Aid, is used when someone means any adhesive bandage.
History
Earl Dickson worked for the company Johnson & Johnson. They produced large bandages made of cotton and gauze for hospitals and the military. Mr. Dickson's job at the time was to buy cotton for the company. This was in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
Mr. Dickson and Josephine Frances Knight were married in 1917. It was the repeated cuts and burns that resulted from Mrs. Knight working in the kitchen that was the source of Earl Dickson's invention.
Invented
Mr. Dickson considered the large bandages of the time to be too big and difficult to work with as he helped Josephine with covering her wounds. Also, since the bandage wasn't made with an adhesive it was difficult for Mrs. Dickson to bandage herself. The process involved Mr. Dickson cutting off pieces of adhesive tape and cutting the cotton gauze to the size needed to create a bandage. Repeatedly following this routine, Mr. Dickson put together his ready to use band aids.
He took a length of Johnson & Johnson tape and laid it down on a table with the adhesive side up. Next he took Johnson & Johnson gauze and folded it to a width that formed a narrow pad and cut it into squares. These he placed on the adhesive with spaces in between each square. In order to keep the tape from sticking to itself he placed a width of crinoline material over gauze and tape. Then he rolled up the tape. This made it possible for Josephine to unroll what she needed, cut it off and apply it herself. Earl Dickson had made the ready-made bandage.
Considerations
After putting together his prototype, Mr. Dickson told another person he worked with about it. This person prompted him to tell the company's management about his invention.
The company wasn't that interested at first. Mr. Dickson then demonstrated the bandage's ease of application. Seeing how it worked created an interest.
Misconceptions
New developments can need adjustment. Johnson & Johnson had the first Band-Aid® Adhesive Bandage launch in 1920. Each was made by hand to the measurements of 18 inches long by three inches wide. Three thousand dollars worth of product were purchased by consumers the first year.
A marketing approach to increase the not so good sales included giving away free Band-Aids to Boy Scout troops. This created pervasive use.
Effects
Mr. Dickson's invention of the Band-Aid introduced the branding of a product that introduced a new term in language. From this beginning many other products have been developed.
Johnson & Johnson placed Mr. Dickson in a vice president position. He retired from this position in 1957.
