General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

METAL/ LEATHER COVERING ON HANDLE

Dimensions

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

Length

62.0 cm

Width

30.5 cm

Height

44.5 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

Canada

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

Unknown

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 In the twentieth century copy presses were superceded by the use of carbon paper with typewriters and, later, by photographic copying methods.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

ON TOP OF PLATEN, MOSTLY ILLEGIBLE, CAN SEE '[?] & SON/ [?] RERS'

Missing

N/A

Finish

PAINTED BLACK, NOW MUCH WORN & CHIPPED, FADED GOLD & RED COLOURED TRIM ON TOP OF PLATEN/ REMAINS OF LEATHER ON HANDLE ARE BROWN & BLACK

Decoration

FADED GOLD-COLOURED LINE AROUND BASE/ ON TOP OF PLATEN IS GOLD-COLOURED LINE AROUND OUTER EDGE WITH THICKER GOLD LINE TO INSIDE OF IT,INNER LINE HAS RED DETAILING & SCROLLWORK