Īfter Lawrence Luellen invented his paper cup and corresponding water fountain, he started the American Water Supply Company of New England in 1908 located in Boston. Soon, the devices, which would dispense cool water for one cent, became standard equipment on trains. Professor Davison's study was instrumental in abolishing the public glass and opening the door for the paper cup.

Luellen developed an ice-cooled water- vending machine with disposable cups, and with another Bostonian, Hugh Moore, embarked on an advertising campaign to educate the public and to market his machine, principally to railroad companies. For the musical band, see the Dixie Cups.ĭixie Cup is the brand name for a line of disposable paper cups that were first developed in the United States in 1907 by Lawrence Luellen, an inventer in Boston, Massachusetts, who was concerned about germs being spread by people sharing glasses or dippers at public supplies of drinking water. For the type of naval headgear, see Sailor cap. These studies, as well as the reduction in the risk of cross-infection, encouraged the use of paper cups in hospitals. In 1942 the Massachusetts State College found in one study that the cost of using washable glasses, re-used after being sanitized, was 1.6 times the cost of using single-service paper cups.

Paper cups are also employed in hospitals for health reasons. By 1917, the public glass had disappeared from railway carriages, replaced by paper cups even in jurisdictions where public glasses had yet to be banned. One of the first railway companies to use disposable paper cups was the Lackawanna Railroad, which began using them in 1909. īased on these concerns, and as paper goods (especially after the 1908 invention of the Dixie Cup) became cheaply and cleanly available, local bans were passed on the shared-use cup. The article was reprinted and distributed by the Massachusetts State Board of Health in November 1909. One notable investigation into their use was the study by Alvin Davison, biology professor at Lafayette College, published with the sensational title 'Death in School Drinking Cups' in Technical World Magazine in August 1908, based on research carried out in Easton, Pennsylvania's public schools. This shared use caused public health concerns. In the early 20th century, it was common to have shared glasses or dippers at water sources such as school faucets or water barrels in trains. The modern paper cup was developed in the 20th century. Textual evidence of paper cups appears in a description of the possessions of the Yu family, from the city of Hangzhou. They were constructed in different sizes and colors, and were adorned with decorative designs. Paper cups were known as chih pei and were used for the serving of tea. Paper cups have been documented in imperial China, where paper was invented by 2nd century BC. Insulated paper cup for hot drinks, cut away to show air layer.Ī paper cup is a disposable cup made out of paper and often lined or coated with plastic or wax to prevent liquid from leaking out or soaking through the paper.

Small clear plastic cups