What did Pryce Pryce-Jones invent?
Pryce-Jones is credited with creating the world's first mail-order catalogue in 1861 and with patenting the first sleeping bag, which he called the Euklisia Rug, in 1876.
Questions about Pryce Pryce-Jones
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Where was Pryce Pryce-Jones from?
He was born on the 16th of October 1834 in Llanllwchaiarn, just outside Newtown, Montgomeryshire, in Wales.
Who were some of his famous customers?
His customer list included Florence Nightingale, Queen Victoria, the Princess of Wales, and royal households across Europe.
What made mail order possible for Pryce-Jones?
Two key developments: the Uniform Penny Post introduced in 1840, which made postal communication affordable, and the arrival of the railway in Newtown in 1859, which enabled reliable delivery of goods.
What happened to his business after he died?
The business suffered during the economic depressions of the 1920s and 1930s and was taken over by Lewis's of Liverpool in 1938, eighteen years after Pryce-Jones died in 1920.
What was the Euklisia Rug?
It was Pryce-Jones's 1876 patented sleeping bag. He exported it worldwide and at one point sold 60,000 to the Russian Army under a single contract.