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Duplicator
- Description
- a: Green metal mimeograph, also called a duplicator. Front section is flat, with metal bars attached, back section is a rounded dome. Front has yellow label "SUPER CREST / REX-O-GRAPH / KING OF FLUID DUPLICATORS". Red sticker on one side for "Western Office Supply Company Ltd. Vancouver B.C.". "SD …
- Manufacturer
- Rex-O-Graph
- Original Owner
- Side of object is stamped "SD 54", suggests this came from the School District 54 Bulkley Valley.
- Other Names
- Spirit Duplicator
- Fluid Duplicator
- Ditto Machine
- Category
- TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT FOR COMMUNICATION
- Sub-Category
- PRINTING TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
- Start Date
- 1923
- End Date
- 1979
- Period or Date Notes
- As use of duplicators declined in 1970s, 1979 has been entered as a general end date.
- Description
- a: Green metal mimeograph, also called a duplicator. Front section is flat, with metal bars attached, back section is a rounded dome. Front has yellow label "SUPER CREST / REX-O-GRAPH / KING OF FLUID DUPLICATORS". Red sticker on one side for "Western Office Supply Company Ltd. Vancouver B.C.". "SD 54" has been painted on using a stencil on one side. On one side a small plaque has been screwed on that says "REX-O-graph" in silver on black.
b: Plastic fluid bottle attached via a black rubber hose.
c-f: four metal clips that clip onto bars on either side of the front section, can be detached.
e: small rectangular metal shaped obejct with two holes on each side. Purpose and relationship to the duplicator is unclear, but was found sitting with the duplicator in the back room.
- History Of Use
- A spirit duplicator (also referred to as a Ditto machine in North America, Banda machine in the UK or Roneo in France and Australia) was a printing method invented in 1923 by Wilhelm Ritzerfeld and commonly used for much of the rest of the 20th century. The term "spirit duplicator" refers to the alcohols which were a major component of the solvents used as "inks" in these machines. The device coexisted alongside the mimeograph. Spirit duplicator technology gradually fell into disuse starting in the 1970s after the availability of low-cost, high-volume xerographic copiers. (Source: Wikipedia, "Spirit Duplicator", accessed November 2017). Likely used by the School District to create copies of documents for use by students (handouts, tests, etc.).
- Accession No.
- 2017.115.1 a-g
- Type of Record
- Museum Artifact
Less detail