Pocket Protectors

by Robert Pavlik

It might seem incongruous to discuss on the web, but pocket protectors were once ubiquitous and essential elements of the well-dressed working man. Whether they accompanied a white or blue collar, these slips of plastic protected one’s dress or work shirts from unsightly and permanent ink marks and stains. Fountain or ballpoint pens were notorious for their propensity to leak ink onto one’s chest, permanently soiling one’s sartorial splendor.

A pocket protector does just what its name conveys. It also provides a handy caddy for one’s collection of pencils and pens, easily transferred to a fresh shirt on a daily (or weekly) basis. In addition, they are quickly adapted to advertising instruments by auto and tool manufacturers.

Erich Klein of Chicago was one of the first manufacturers of pocket protectors, beginning in 1947. His company, Erell Manufacturers, continues to make thousands of the plastic holders every year.

Computers (combined with changes in fashion and a certain self-consciousness) have rendered these utilitarian pieces not only increasingly obsolete, but also articles of derision, as anachronistic as slide-rules and suspenders.

Say what you will, I like them and enjoy collecting and wearing all kinds of pocket protectors. The above photos are a sample.