Edison's Autographic Press and Electric Pen, 1875-1880
Add to SetSummary
Thomas Edison's electric pen, an ancestor of both the mimeograph and the tattoo needle, was a successful product in the mid-1870s. Users would write normally with the pen, which, instead of a nib, had a needle powered by an electric motor. The needle poked holes into a stencil, which was then used to copy the document. Many businesses found document duplication an attractive possibility.
Thomas Edison's electric pen, an ancestor of both the mimeograph and the tattoo needle, was a successful product in the mid-1870s. Users would write normally with the pen, which, instead of a nib, had a needle powered by an electric motor. The needle poked holes into a stencil, which was then used to copy the document. Many businesses found document duplication an attractive possibility.
Artifact
Stylus
Date Made
1875-1880
Keywords
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
00.256.14
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Thomas A. Edison.
Material
Copper alloy
Iron alloy
Nickel (Metal)
Rubber (Material)
Dimensions
Height: 6.5 in (pen)
Diameter: 3.5 in (pen)
Height: 1.75 in (roller)
Width: 9.75 in (roller)
Length: 9.75 in (roller)
Height: 3.5 in (platen)
Width: 12 in (platen)
Length: 15.25 in (platen)
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