the mousetrap
James Henry Atkinson
James Henry Atkinson was the British inventor who in 1897 invented the prototype
mousetrap called the "Little Nipper". The Little Nipper is the classic snapping mousetrap
that we are all familiar with that has the small flat wooden base, the spring trap, and the
wire fastenings.
The Little Nipper slams shut in 38,000s of a second and that record has never been beaten.
This is the design that has prevailed until today. This mousetrap has captured a sixty
percent share of the British mousetrap market alone, and an estimated equal share of the international market.