Edison No. 1 Mimeograph, 1887

01

Artifact Overview

Thomas Edison received a patent in 1876 for "Autographic Printing," covering the electric pen and flatbed press; a patent for "Autographic Stencils" followed in 1880. The mimeograph was invented by Albert Blake Dick in 1887, who licensed and refined Edison's patents. This low-cost, stencil-based printing technology was popular until displaced by photocopying machines and offset printing in the 1960s.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Mimeograph

Date Made

1887

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

2002.65.2

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of A.B. Dick Company.

Material

Wood (Plant Material)
Slate (Rock)
Metal
Paper (Fiber product)
Ink

Dimensions

Length: 17 in
Width: 13.25 in
Height: 4.75 in

Inscriptions

label plate: EDISON / MIMEOGRAPH / PAT. AUG 8, 1876. FEBY 17, 1880 / OTHER PATENTS PENDING / MADE ONLY BY / A.B. DICK CO. / NO 1 CHICAGO