Henry Brown - was an inventor who saw a need for a convenient and secure way to store money, valuables and important papers. He patented his receptacle for storing and preserving papers on November 2, 1886 and it developed into what is now known as a strongbox.
At that time, people commonly kept those type of items in wooden or cardboard boxes in their homes or entrusted them to local banks. Both of these options presented dilemmas. While banks generally provided safety against theft, they did not prevent bank employees from reading through personal papers. At the same time, keeping the items at home could help to keep prying eyes away, but there was little to prevent burglars from quickly and easily grabbing valuables and making off with them.

Did You Know?

The use of typewriters and carbon papers at this time likely presented new challenges in how to store them. While carbon papers were a handy innovation for keeping a duplicate of typewritten documents, they could be easily smudged or torn.

The box was made of sheet metal and could be locked. This allowed for secure storage of important documents at home or the office.