The Old Catablog

From the Montgomery Ward Catalogue of 1895:

Edison Mimeograph.

24579 The Edison Mimeograph Type writer. A practical working machine, that does perfect mimeograph work. It has steel type, keeps good align­ment, prints from a ribbon, is a heavy manifolder, and is strong and durable, at same time being light and portable.

Writes 78 characters, caps and small letters….. $22.00

It should be noted that this device, is not, in fact, a mimeograph machine, but rather an index typewriter used to make stencils for a mimeograph. Contrary to its name, this device was in fact manufactured by the A.B. Dick Co., who licensed Edison’s copying technology patents and marketed the device using his name.

For more information, visit the Wikipedia entry on the mimeograph. Some nice pictures of this typewriter and history are available at the Early Office Museum.