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Anyone know what this is? (Original Post) Yavin4 Feb 28 OP
Memeograph machine dweller Feb 28 #1
Close Mikey1cat Feb 28 #16
It smells goooooooood C_U_L8R Feb 28 #2
weird, but I agree AltairIV Feb 28 #10
My entire secondary school experience summed up here C_U_L8R Feb 28 #13
Multilith machine snowybirdie Feb 28 #3
A mimeograph machine? CareyOn Feb 28 #4
That's an old hand-crank wet paper copier bucolic_frolic Feb 28 #5
They were also around in the '50s and '60s. PoindexterOglethorpe Feb 28 #14
Mimeograph cayugafalls Feb 28 #6
A mimeograph machine DaBronx Feb 28 #7
As a retired educator Dave in VA Feb 28 #8
The mimeograph machine at my school was fully automatic, no cranking. Eugene Feb 28 #9
I remember those! mike_c Feb 28 #11
That's where my grade school and high school tests came from. Sneederbunk Feb 28 #12
i remember going with mom to her school when she was teaching. wed go in the evening and run copies of AllaN01Bear Feb 28 #15
Trademark name: Ditto machine. Otherwise, spirit duplicator. hunter Feb 28 #17
Mimeograph? ProfessorGAC Feb 28 #18
Yes! Love that SMELL! Annnnnnd..... some_of_us_are_sane Feb 28 #19

bucolic_frolic

(50,003 posts)
5. That's an old hand-crank wet paper copier
Fri Feb 28, 2025, 06:36 PM
Feb 28

You made ink stencils, and the machine used alcohol to wet the ink and xfer it to blank paper. Circa 1970s.

Dave in VA

(2,208 posts)
8. As a retired educator
Fri Feb 28, 2025, 06:39 PM
Feb 28

I have used these machines many, many times. It was a miracle when the electric machine replaced the old hand crank ones. Also, I loved the smell of freshly printed sheets.

Lots of memories in that pic.

Eugene

(64,574 posts)
9. The mimeograph machine at my school was fully automatic, no cranking.
Fri Feb 28, 2025, 06:39 PM
Feb 28

Early to mid 1970s.

mike_c

(36,537 posts)
11. I remember those!
Fri Feb 28, 2025, 06:41 PM
Feb 28

Loved that fresh ink smell. I only recall it duplicating in blue ink. I wonder whether a black ink was available instead.

AllaN01Bear

(24,857 posts)
15. i remember going with mom to her school when she was teaching. wed go in the evening and run copies of
Fri Feb 28, 2025, 07:11 PM
Feb 28

documents off . the sound is forever burned into my brain. ka chunk a . ka chun ka. and THAT smell of the ink

hunter

(39,464 posts)
17. Trademark name: Ditto machine. Otherwise, spirit duplicator.
Fri Feb 28, 2025, 07:45 PM
Feb 28

When I was teaching the school's actual Xerox machine was kept in a locked glass-walled room visible to the school secretary. Teachers were only allowed 40 copies per semester, which wasn't even worth requesting.

Teachers used the Ditto machines by the teacher's lounge or those assigned to each department, or we spent our own money to make copies at strip-mall copy shops.

some_of_us_are_sane

(1,188 posts)
19. Yes! Love that SMELL! Annnnnnd.....
Fri Feb 28, 2025, 10:36 PM
Feb 28

does anyone know the name of THIS BEAST?



I typed on that thing for two years in the early 70's. Had a punched roll of paper tape that corresponded to the letters typed. I'd box them up every day and ship to the main office in NYC.

It was a noisy beast and you couldn't correct a letter.

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