Tissue dispenser box, approx. 1970, 24.8 × 11.4 × 5.3 cm, paper and cardboard. KIT Archives 28506/33.
Whilst almost unknown on KIT’s South Campus, the green-and-white dispenser boxes filled with disposable wipes have become an integral part of the North Campus. These tissue boxes have been a part of daily life for employees since the early years of the Nuclear Research Center. Institutes and other organizational units can easily obtain them from the central warehouse, but their ubiquity is not solely due to their easy availability. Such lint-free wipes are needed in laboratories for all sorts of cleaning purposes. They were also utilized to temporarily secure sample materials during transport via pneumatic tube. The practical design of the dispenser even permits their use with gloves in a shielded experimental box, making this form of dispensing essential in such environments. The dispenser boxes appear in many laboratory photographs and other images show that they were used in offices, as well. These tissue dispensers, with approximately 250 per box with an opening at the top, exist since 1924. The American company Kimberly-Clark initially marketed the tissues for facial care, later promoting them for use when down with a cold. Today, the boxes are available in various models, including a special product line designed for laboratory use. The range of manufacturers has also expanded. The dispenser box was included in this exhibition because it is frequently mentioned by staff as an everyday object that sets the work environments between KIT’s North and South Campuses apart. Whether this differentiation indicates a certain mentality about what is important is debatable. Perhaps the attention given to this everyday item stems from a desire for individuality within KIT’s large-scale organisational body. as, kn
As a collaborator in the KIT bicentennial exhibition, I’d like to share a few impressions and experiences from my research on the tissue paper. No matter where my research took me or which departments I visited, and employees I spoke to, I always received a response, a smile, and much praise for the many uses of this article. After years of relying on them, nobody seemed willing to do without these “cosmetic tissues.” I started my inquiry in the photo department, where as soon as I entered the room I spied such a box prominently displayed on the conference table. The tissues have been used here for many years to clean lenses, many other camera parts, and, of course, to wipe noses. Markus Breig, who has headed the photo center for many years, recalled having once photographed the box for a calendar featuring images of everyday objects at the Research Center, and gave me a copy of this prop-up calendar, which includes that photo of the box. Another visit took me to the print shop, where I interviewed a long-time North Campus employee, Ilona Metz. The box was also standing visibly on her table. She confirmed that the tissues were primarily entrusted with wiping away all sorts of things. I conducted similar interviews with our colleagues from different administrative departments. Whether used as a handkerchief, a makeup remover, or a quick solution to wipe up spilled coffee, juice, or other liquids, the tissue box was the rapid response. One’s glasses and monitor screen were also wiped clean with them, of course. A long-time employee of the Institute of Applied Materials confirmed to me that they had even been used in research settings. He recalled instances where the tissue dispenser was even positioned inside a shielded test cell for access by a remote-controlled manipulator arm. Thus, it was possible to wipe away, cushion, clean or dab up materials even in a laboratory handling radioactive substances. In the course of my research, I heard many stories and reminiscences related to that tissue box and many of those anecdotes, ranging from practical to amusing, offer glimpses into the daily routine and research activities at the former Research Center. Anja Weindel
The Kleenex box immediately occurred to me as a relevant object because, as a long-standing employee on KIT’s North Campus, I became acquainted with this Kleenex box from my very first day and saw it variously in use everywhere. Anja Weindel