Inventor Chester Carlson used static electricity created with a handkerchief, light and dry powder to make the first copy on Oct. 22, 1938. The copier didn't get on to the market until 1959, more than 20 years later. When it did, the Xerox machine prompted a dramatic change in the workplace.

When did photocopying begin?

Physicist and inventor Chester Carlson used a handkerchief to generate static electricity on dry powder to create the first photocopy on October 22, 1938.

What was the first copier called?

Xerox, a pioneer in photocopying technology

There were numerous attempts at early copy automation, yet all were imperfect. In 1959, Xerox released the first "modern" version of the photocopier. It was called 914, and it was bulky, heavy and hard to use.