Wilson Jones Co.
Tatum Staplers

Chicago, IL   -  1893 - present
Now owned by ACCO Brands

The Wilson Jones Company was formed in 1893 when a jewelry repairman in Chicago invented and started manufacturing the first aluminum sheet holder.

In 1899 the company, then called The Chicago Shipping and Receipt Book Company, came under the control of Ralph B. Wilson.   What followed changed the way we store paper -- the invention of the ring binder in late 1903.   This event, coupled with a merger with the Jones Improved Loose Leaf Company, owned by W. Gifford Jones, created an office products giant. 

In 1926, the Wilson Jones Loose Leaf Company merged with the Sam'l C. Tatum Company of Cincinatti under the name of the Wilson-Jones Company.   Wilson Jones is now owned by ACCO Brands.

Tatum Advertising Blotter - 1954

Wilson Jones made the Tatum Aluminum Stapler. This machine is highly sought after - not only by collectors of staplers but by collectors of Art Deco, Machine Age, and Atomic Age items.

The Tatum was invented in 1954 and was the first (and maybe only) stapler made almost entirely of aluminum.   (It sports ALCOA logos in several places).

The Tatum Aluminum Stapler

While not particularly rare, the Tatum Aluminum Stapler has a larger collector base than most and therefore tends to command a premium price.   Prices range from $40 for an average example to over $100 for one that is near mint and in its original box.

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