The Paper Napkin Story

In 1907 when a mild epidemic of colds hit the Philadelphia area, a local teacher blamed the spread of the cold on the fact that all her students used the same cloth towel. In order to protect her students from spreading any more germs, this resourceful teacher came up with the novel idea of cutting copy paper into squares and using them as individual towels. Thus the first paper napkins was born.

Arthur Scott if Scott Paper company heard about the teacher's ingenious solutions and took it further. Scott was at that point of time was a manufacturer of toilet tissues. One particular batch of the parent rolls for the tissue was so thick that it could not be cut into the toilet rolls. Scott had the paper cut into 13x18" sheets which he then sold under the name of "Sani-Towels" which was later renamed to Scott tissue towels. One of its popular advertising slogans was "For one use by one user". Paper napkins then went on to be used at households, commercial establishments, restaurants and offices.

I picked up my first napkin from the Tandoori Restaurant as a souviener from my trip to Singapore in 1999. Three years at a dinner with friends of mine at a restaurant called Jus Parathas in Chennai I picked up another Napkin and these two was what started me off on the my offical paper napkin collection journey. Since then the first thing I do when I walk into a new hotel, restaurant or party would be to check if there is a new paper napkin that I can add to my collection.

My collection has now been furthered with the the help of family and friends who do a lot of travelling and pick up napkins wherever they go to add on to my collection. Thanks Guys!!!

Each of the paper napkins that I have picked up now brings back memories of times I spent at which restaurant and with whom. I believe when you see a napkin from a hotel or restaurant you have been to it would bring back memories as well. This collection is now more than just a hobby. It is a recollection.

I would like to collect as many different napkins as I can and I would like your help. If you are a collector as well please contact me and we trade.