General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

CAST IRON

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

45.7 cm

Width

27.9 cm

Height

31.8 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Printing

Category

Duplication

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Unknown

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

This press is typical of federal government office equipment at the turn of the twentieth century. Originallly owned by Miss Anna Paterson, #611 261 Cooper St., Ottawa, it was used by Miss Paterson or her father while in government service.

Function

To copy a handwritten document by applying pressure to a sheet of tissue paper placed over the ink original.

Technical

Patented by James Watt in 1780, copy presses were once a common tool in offices, providing the simplest means of making copies of hand written documents. To copy a letter, a damp sheet of "onion skin" copy paper was placed over the freshly written page and then both were placed in the press. When squeezed together the thin, absorbent copy paper would pick up some of the ink from the letter. This reverse image of the text could be read correctly by viewing it through the back of the nearly transparent sheet. In the twentieth century copy presses were superceded by the use of carbon paper with typewriters and, later, by photographic copying methods. Bed of this press bears decal denoting award from Columbia Exhibition, Atlanta, 1895.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

BED OF PRESS HAS A GOLD, GREEN & RED DECAL: `B'; ALSO ON BED IS A GOLD DECAL, READS: `[?]'/ GOLD DECAL ON CENTRAL HUB IS: `[?], APPEARS TO BE CO. LOGO OR SEVERAL SUPERIMPOSED LETTERS

Missing

none apparent

Finish

BLACK ENAMELED

Decoration

`B' DECAL ON BAD HAS FLORAL DESIGN INTERWEAVED