Edison Electric Pen

Description:

Edison Electric Pen, New Jersey, c. 1876, with two coil electric motor, 1 3/4 in. nickeled flywheel, cast iron motor frame with faint remains of gilt and red striping, nickeled shaft with threaded adjustment, hatched grip, brass stylus and needle, lg. 5 1/2 in.

Note: Introduced to the public in 1876, the Edison Electric Pen was used to make multiple copies of hand written documents by utilizing a small motor causing a reciprocating needle to perforate specially prepared paper and thus, making a stencil. The stencil and copy paper were then placed in a frame where ink was applied making a copy. The Edison pen was made obsolete by the introduction of the typewriter.
Estimate $8,000-12,000