A Rolodex is a rotating card file device used to store a contact list. Its name, a

portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.

of the words "rolling" and "index", has become somewhat genericized for any

personal organizer A personal organizer, also known as a datebook, date log, daybook, day planner, personal analog assistant, book planner, year planner, or agenda (from Latin ''agenda'' – things to do), is a portable book or binder designed for personal manage ...

performing this function, or as a

metonym Metonymy () is a figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name of something associated with that thing or concept. For example, the word "wikt:suit, suit" may refer to a person from groups commonly wearing business attire, such ...

for a total accumulation of business contacts. In this usage, it has generally come to describe an effect or characteristic of the small-world network of a business's investors,

board of directors A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...

, or the value of a CEO's contacts, or in organizational structure. Models have been exhibited in the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

History

The Rolodex was invented in 1956 by Danish engineer Hildaur Neilsen, the chief engineer of

Arnold Neustadter Arnold Neustadter (25 August 1910 – 17 April 1996) was an American inventor An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea, or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increas ...

's company Zephyr American, a stationery manufacturer in New York. Neustadter was often credited with having invented it. First marketed in 1958, it was an improvement to an earlier design called the ''Wheeldex''. Zephyr American also invented, manufactured and sold the ''Autodex'', a spring-operated phone directory that automatically opened to the selected letter; ''Swivodex'', an inkwell that did not spill; ''Punchodex'', a paper hole puncher; and ''Clipodex'', an office aid that attached to a stenographer's knee. Rolodex also marketed non-rotary (linear) tub-like card-file systems using the same cards (size and notches) as the rotary files. Neustadter retired and sold out to a larger firm in 1970. The Rolodex remained popular throughout the 1980s, and individual Rolodexes containing a large amount of information were considered valuable, and lawsuits were filed by companies against employees who attempted to take their Rolodex with them when leaving the company. A 1985 episode of the detective TV series '' Moonlighting'' involved a stolen Rolodex being ransomed for $50,000 — a figure reflecting the value of the data it contained. The system fell out of widespread use in the 2000s, as digital storage became the norm. However, Rolodex cards are still produced, and have a niche usership.

Images

File:Rolodex™ 67236 Rotary Business Card File.jpg, Rolodex 67236 rotary business card file File:Rolodex with Altered Cards.jpg, A decorative rolodex File:Decorative Rolodex 2.jpg, A decorative rolodex File:Rolodex Cards - End of Box.jpg, Rolodex cards refill box File:A large filled rolodex viewed from the side.jpg, A large filled rolodex viewed from the side File:Rolodex-Linear.jpg, alt=Linear Rolodex, Linear Rolodex

References

External links

* Products introduced in 1958 Newell Brands Office equipment Containers {{product-stub

History

Images

See also

References

External links