On 30th March 1858 the design for a pencil with attached eraser was patented (Hyman L Lipman of Philadelphia).

It might seem an everyday object to us but having an eraser secured on the end of a pencil was a new invention in the 19th century.

Hymen L. Lipman was born March 20, 1817, in either Kingston, Jamaica or in the Bahamas, to English parents. He immigrated to the United States around 1829 with them, arriving in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he resided for the remainder of his life.

In 1862, Lipman sold his patent to Joseph Reckendorfer for $100,000, who went on to sue pencil manufacturer Faber-Castell for infringement. In Reckendorfer v. Faber (1875), the Supreme Court of the United States ruled against Reckendorfer, declaring the patent invalid.