See also: Told

Nicolas-Jacques Told (1755 - 1805), physicist and chemist French, known to have invented the Crayon undermines current.

Biography

It was wire of a gardener and was raised by public charity. He learned in his childhood painting without Master, then delivered to the study sciences and their applications.

At the time where one wanted to employ the airships with the war, it was in charge of the direction of a school of balloon pilots, formed with Meudon. He invents varnished impermeable and a method of preparation of the Hydrogène. Sent in Egypt as commander of the balloon pilots, it there was made useful by an untiring activity, and created factories of any kind for the army which missed of all. It also took part in the creation of the Conservatoire of arts and trades of Paris. It directed the publication of the great work on Egypt.

Since the 16th century, the pencils used mines in Plombagine, a very pure graphite extracted with Borrowdale in the county from Cumberland in England. In 1794, France is subjected to an economic blockade and Carnot Conté load to invent a pencil lead which does not require any more raw materials of foreign origin. After a few days of research, it had the idea to mix Graphite with Argile, to cook the whole and to lock up it between two wood half-cylinders of Cèdre. In 1795, it obtains a patent for its invention and founds the Conté company to manufacture its pencils. The company was bought in 1979 by the group Bic who is the current owner of the mark, become in 2004 Bic Kids.

Nicolas-Jacques Conté died in Paris the December 6th 1805. Sées raised a statue in to him 1852.

Bonds

• History of Told and its company

• Told in Egypt CAESmagazine n° 76 - autumn 2005

Partial source