James Watt invented this document copier to relieve him of the tedium of making copies of his plans and drawings. The press copies a written document by pressure onto thin, translucent, unsized paper, producing a reversed copy from the back. Watt patented the device in 1780 and his company continued to produce it long after his death. The principle on which the machine is based remained in use until the arrival of modern photocopiers.
Copying Press invented by James Watt
Contributed by McLean Museum and Art Gallery
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- Location
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Soho Works, Birmingham, Englan
- Culture
- Period
- Theme
- Size
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- H:
- 13cm
- W:
- 37.5cm
- D:
- 29cm
- Colour
- Material
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