This is a portable letter-copying press, a piece of ingenious 18th-century office equipment. It is housed in a handsome mahogany box, designed to be as much a piece of furniture as a tool. Inside the lid, you will find a double writing surface covered in leather, with two folding brass arms to hold the original document. The base contains the mechanism: two brass rollers, a detachable crank of wood and brass, and a set of small glass and ceramic bottles for ink and drying powder.
The device is a relic from a time before carbon paper or photocopiers, when duplicating a letter required manual pressure and careful inking. The box’s exterior is subtly carved, with slots for brass handles that are now missing. It is a characterful object, speaking of a world where even business correspondence was a slow, physical craft, demanding patience and a steady hand.
Description via source. Coordinates and heritage data from the Atika atlas.
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