The History of Liquid Paper

Bette Nesmith Graham was struggling to keep her job as a secretary in the 1950s due to frequent typing mistakes. To obscure her typos, she created a fast-drying liquid using white tempera paint and a watercolor brush. She sold the product covertly for years until her boss found out and fired her. She then applied for a patent for her “Liquid Paper” product and secured major clients, including General Electric and IBM. In 1979, she sold her company to Gillette for $47.5 million. Today, Wite-Out, a competitor to Liquid Paper, is still used for a variety of applications, including fixing nicks on white surfaces and making crafts.