Weird! Toilet Paper Was Once Sold as Medicine in New York
I don’t know about you, but I’m very thankful for toilet paper. I can barely handle the thought of using a rag after someone else had used it, then flipping it over for the other side. And tree bark? As gross as that rag idea sounds, I suppose I’d take it over rubbing tree bark on myself. I’m glad I don’t have to choose.
New York played an early role in bringing commercial toilet paper to the United States. In 1857, Joseph C. Gayetty began selling what’s credited as the first commercially available toilet paper in the country. It came in flat sheets, not on a roll.
New York City’s First Commercial Toilet Paper
Gayetty called his product “Medicated Paper for the Water-Closet.” The sheets were made from Manila hemp, treated with aloe and marketed as a health product. According to HISTORY’s account of toilet paper’s history, 500 sheets cost 50 cents.
An advertisement from 1859 listed Gayetty’s business at 41 Ann Street in Lower Manhattan. The Lower Manhattan Historical Association shares more about the product and Gayetty’s business, and you can see an original advertisement in the Library of Congress collection.
People in China had used paper for personal hygiene centuries earlier, so Gayetty’s claim is about the first commercial toilet paper in the United States. He didn’t invent the idea of using paper, but he helped turn it into a product Americans could buy.
Albany Helped Shape the Toilet Paper Roll
New York’s toilet paper story continued in Albany. Seth Wheeler patented improvements to toilet paper rolls in 1891, including a design intended to help sheets tear away more easily. His patent describes a roll for wrapping or toilet use.
The next time you reach for a roll, you can thank New York for helping make this everyday bathroom staple what it is. I’ll take modern toilet paper over a rag or tree bark any day.
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Gallery Credit: Chuck D'Imperio