Cyrus Chambers was a self-described mechanic who started out winding bobbins in his father's woollen mill and went on to invent machines that changed their industries. Cyrus Chambers came from Quaker parents the ninth of thirteen siblings, he once said a year before his death. “I believe I have succeeded because, first, I was industrious; second, because I made a study of the subject that was before me.” At age 7, Chambers went to work in his father’s mill. His job was to monitor bobbins—wooden spindles around which thread was wound and to remove and replace them as they became full. "There was no child labour law at that time," he later recalled. Chambers loved machinery and always regarded himself as a mechanic rather than an inventor. At age 16, Chambers was sent to learn dentistry with an older brother, (Edwin) who was already in the field and willing to take him on as an apprentice. Chambers was talented at working with small parts. He used his brother's dental instruments to build a miniature high-pressure steam engine of silver. It ran at 3,000 revolutions per minute and weighed less than a half-ounce. At that time it was the smallest engine that had ever been constructed. The engine was displayed at the 1876 Centennial and is now in a permanent collection at the Franklin Institute USA. Chambers major invention was the paper folding machine and came from reading that school teachers made less than the young girls who were employed to fold book pages as they came off the press. He told friends that his first efforts were to make the machine that would fold newspapers after demonstrating his device he met with Horace Greeley of the New York Tribune who advised Chambers would never invent the machine that would be able to fold his newspaper or books. In less than a year Chambers had built a full-size machine capable of folding large newspapers and books and was installed at J B Lippincott & Co folding pages for the "Comly Speller" this machine ran successfully for twenty-five years until the printing works burnt down. Chambers then went into partnership with a brother and they established the firm "Chambers, Brother & Co" at a plant in Philadelphia. It was also observed in 1910 and a fact that there was not a periodical or newspaper printed or recently published book that had not gone through one of Chambers inventions. Chambers went on to produce many mechanical inventions and improvements to existing tools and machinery most notable was his invention for the machine that would make clay bricks. This machine made forty bricks per hour and by the end of Chambers life after many improvements, it could make more than four hundred. Although there were a large number of bold cutters made of this patent at Cyrus Chamber’s foundry in Philadelphia, the item is associated with a notable American inventor of the nineteenth century. This particular patent for a bolt and rivet cutter won Chambers the prestigious Elliott Cresson Medal. This cutter is just one of the many inventions and mechanical improvements that Cyrus Chambers made during his lifetime, contributing to the ongoing development of mechanical improvements that were occurring in American industry of the time and therefore a notable addition to the Flagstaff collection.Cast iron bolt cutter with removable tempered steel cutter. Chambers New No. 2.Raised embossed lettering on cast body of cutter "New No 2" on one side, "Chambers Bros & Co" on the other sideflagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, cyrus chambers, bolt cutter, paper folding machine, brick making machine, elliot cresson, elliot cresson medal, franklin institute, gold medal, rivet cutter

Single sheet of paper, folded to 4 pages, black ink printing. Includes articles on politics, trouble and dangers in Melbourne train travel, tv programme the Beatles, a wedding photo with the bride in a mini skirt. Advertising of household items, was in machines, fridges and black and white TV. vietnam war, melbourne, herald sun

Items re David James Wallace HAMILTON No 329 . KIA 7.6.1917. Refer Cat No No 2351.5P for his service details..1) Certificate, cardboard, yellowed, folded re David James HAMILTON being for his appointment to 2nd Lieutenant. Printed in black with black pen writing ornate. Stamped seal on one side. .2) Envelope for .1) Paper yellowed with black print..1) Bottom L: "D J Hamilton Second Lieutenant Land Forces Australian Machine Gun Corps" .2) Printed top centre: "ON HIS MAJESTY'S SERVICE" Printed bottom L: "DEPT OF DEFENCE MELBOURNE" Handwritten centre: "Mrs L Hamilton Royal Hotel Williamstown Vic"certificate, officer

This Gestetner Cyclostyle duplicating machine was invented and manufactured by David Gestetner. He claimed in 1922, once he had released several models, that if a Gestetner Durotype stencil was used together with his Cyclostyle machine, then 10,000 copies could be made from the one Durotype stencil, an amazing claim for office technology of that era. David Gestetner (1854-1939), was born in Csoma, Hungary. He has been called the “founder of the worldwide office copying and duplicator industry.). He moved to London and in 1879 filed his first copying patent. In 1881 he patented the Cyclostyle stylus (or pen), which was used in conjunction with his Cyclograph device for copying text and images, He established the Gestetner Cyclograph Company in England at this time (1881) to protect his inventions and to produce his products; stencils, stylos (stylus or pen) and ink rollers. HIs inventions included nail-clipper and the ball-point pen (although the latter is more commonly associated with Laszlo Biro). Gestetner’s patented Cyclograph duplicator was used with his Cyclostyle Stylus or pen to write or draw on special thin wax-coated stencil paper (originally used for kite making paper) in the following way; 1. The Cyclostyle stencil was placed on a lower, framed metal plate of the Cyclograph 2. An upper frame was clipped over the top 3. The Cyclostyle pen, with its tip being a small metal-spiked or toothed wheel, was used to write or draw on the stencil, punched small holes into the paper and removed the wax coating in those places 4. The upper frame and stencil was then removed and a piece of blank paper was placed onto the metal plate in the lower frame and the upper frame with stencil was replaced 5. A roller was given an even distribution of Cyclostyle ink and rolled by hand over the stencil in the frame. This forced the ink through the holes in the stencil to and made a copy of the stencil on the paper 6. The upper frame was raised, the printed paper removed and another blank sheet was put into place. The whole process was repeated until enough copies were made. Gestetner’s invention developed further in 1894, with a stencil that could be placed on a screen on a revolving drum. The drum was manually rotated, the stencil then wrapped around another drum and was fed between cloth-covered rollers on which ink was evenly spread. Each revolution of the drum forced ink through the holes in the stencil and transferred the ink onto paper that had been fed between rollers and pressed against the drum. The process was repeated for each page. The paper was still fed and removed manually in this earlier invention but became more automatic in later models. In 1902 Gestetner duplicator model 6 was put onto the market. This model included the improvement of an automatic paper feed that synchronised with the rotation of the stencil. The Gestetner machine was the first office printing machine. It was easily installed and it made exact copies of the sane document quickly, effectively and inexpensively. This changed the way offices operated, making information easily available to many more users. The machines were commonly used in small businesses, schools, churches, clubs and other organisations for the wide distribution of a wide variety of information in the form of worksheets, newsletters and more. In 1906 the Gestetner Works were opened in Tottenham Hale, North London, and thousands of people were employed there up until the 1970’s. Due to the fast growing success of the Gestetner Duplicator machines many international branches for sales and service centres were established. David Gestetner was succeeded by his son Sigmund, followed by his grandson’s David and Jonathan. Further advancement was made by using a manual typewriter with specifically designed stencils. The end product was a printed, typewritten copy similar to the print from newspapers and booklets. In the next few years there were further developments of this revolutionary invention. The Gestetner Cyclostyle duplicator in our Collection is dated c.1922 - 1929 and it uses Gestetner Durotype stencils The 1922 British Industries Fair’s catalogue contained advertising for the Gestetner Rotary Cyclostyle “The World’s Premier Duplicator”, demonstrated at Stand K 86.” A Notice at the foot of the advertisement’s page boasts "Important - D Gestetner's latest invention, the "Durotype" Stencil, enables you to obtain 10,000 copies from one original if desired. It contains no wax of any description, is indestructible, can be stored indefinitely and printed from as required” In 1929 the look of the Gestetner machines changed; American designer Raymond Loewy was invited by Gestetner to improve the look of his duplicators, resulting in a very streamlined appearance. Eventually, around 1960’s, offices replaced their Gestetner with small photocopying machines and printers. Gestetner took over ownership of other office machine companies over time, including Nashua, Rex Rotary, Hanimex and Savin and eventually all came under the holding company name of NRG (Nashuatech, Rex Rotary and Gestetner). In 1996 Ricoh acquired the Gestetner Company, and it was renamed the NRG Group. REFERENCES Cyclostyle, Stencil Duplicating Machines, antique Copying Machines, Early Office Museum, http://www.officemuseum.com/copy_machines.htm Duplicating machines, Wikipedia Duplicator, Collection online, Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation http://techno-science.ca/en/collection-research/collection-item.php?id=1989.0229.001 Gestetner duplicators, Totterham-Summerhillroad.com http://tottenham-summerhillroad.com/gestetner_duplicators_tottenham.htm Gestetner Duplicator, V&A Museum http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O322014/gestetner-duplicator-duplicator-loewy-raymond-fernand/ Gestetner, Grace’s Guide to British Industrial History, http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Gestetner Duplicating machines such as this one revolutionalised access to copies of printed material, changing the way that educational bodies, offices, small businesses and community clubs and charities operated.Duplicating machine, Gestetner Cyclostyle Durotype, a stencil-method duplicating machine with two rotating drums plus rollers. Hand operated, tabletop office machine. Front has folding Bakelite handle, oil filling hole, calibrating gauge with scale, and copy counting meter. Right side has printed manufacturer’s plate that slides out as a paper output tray. Left side has metal plate with protrusions and perforations, plus another similar plate that is detached. It also has a metal frame attached [that would have been used to hold a paper input board, adjusted for various sizes of paper]. Cover, metal, with folding wooden handle on top, attaches to base with metal clips. Inscriptions printed on machine, mostly in gold-coloured paint. Round metal manufacturing plate is stamped with Serial Number 95759. Made by D. Gestetner, London, c.1922-1929Maker’s plate “MANUFACTURED / BY / D. GESTETNER LTD, / No. 95759 / CYCLOSTYLE WORKS / TOTTENHAM HALE / LONDON, N” Copy counting meter shows “1 4 6 4 8 [space]“ copies. Calibrating gauge has divisions with numbers “0 1 2“, labelled “← [left arrow] “TO PRINT LOWER” and “→ [right arrow], TO PRINT HIGHER”. “The Gestetner”, “Cyclostyle”, “Gestetner” (Trade Mark), Right side print of manufacturing details includes “The / Gestetner / TRADE MARK” And “THE FOLLOWING TRAFE MARKS / - - - OF INK, STENCILS / - - - AND GUARANTEE OF PERFECT / - - - BOTH - - - AND MACHINE” and “CYCLOSTYLE / DUROTYPE / GESTETNER” and “D. Gestetner” flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime village, great ocean road, office machine, copying machine, gestetner machine, duplicating machine, duplicator, stencil machine, gestetner cyclograph company, cyclograph, cyclostyle, d. gestetner ltd, gestetner durotype stencils, gestetner cyclostyle, printing machine, office technology, durotype stencils, david gestetner, raymond loewy, roneo, rotary duplicatorten, mimeo, mimeograph machine, roneograph copier

Sewing machine, portable, hand operated, with Premier logo. Has folding crank handle, body painted black with floral design, wooden base and separate wooden cover with lock. Base has compartment with accessories, covered by curved ended, sliding wooden panel. Decorative linework on side, carvings on each corner. Wooden handle on cover is carved in rings, folds down. Below handle is decorative inlaid pattern. Serial number on plate at back of machine. Accessories include 13 attachments, key (broken), screwdriver, sewing machine needle, razor blades (2) and buttons. Attached to inside of case is a square of paper with a number on it. Instruction book for Singer Sewing Machines is included. Also with machine are white tailor's chalk and a cut out, fabric pocket with tissue paper pattern pinned to it.Serial number "579200" is stamped into plate at back of machine. Brand on transfer on front of machine is "Premier". Paper inside case has hand written number "334A". Instruction book "Instructions for using Singer Sewing Machines No. 66 - Oscillating hook for family use" flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, sewing machine, permier sewing machine, hand operated sewing machine, dressmaker, fasion, singer no. 66 manual, textile, flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, sewing machine, permier sewing machine, hand operated sewing machine, dressmaker, fasion, singer no. 66 manual, textile

Notes taken by Geoff Biddington on computer terminology - 1970.1 Hard blue cover folder with 3 ring clasp. Hand written information on lined paper. .2 Brochure of six sections folded. This item was not viewed when checking details - 21/09/2017 Front cover: Blue sticker - I C T - International Computers and Tabulators. Gold Letters embossed - I B M - International Business Machinesgeoff biddington, cobol, language, ibm, ict

This Edison Ediphone voice recording electronic business machine is manufactured to suit a small office and is light enough to carry between work and home for use outside normal business hours. It is a dictation machine, also called by the competitor’s brand name ‘Dictaphone’, and is used for recording spoken words that would later be transcribed and typewritten. A wax cylinder would be installed onto the machine’s drum and the Reproducer on the machine would be lowered onto the cylinder. The user would speak a message into a microphone and the reproducer would then convert the sounds to scribed marks on the cylinder. Later, the cylinder could be played and the Reproducer would enable the sound to be amplified through an attached speaker. This machine is currently without its power cord, microphone and speaker horn. Thomas A. Edison extended the technology of the telegraph to his phonograph machine, invented in the late 19th century. It could record and play back sounds of music and voice on a manually operated mechanical machine that used wax cylinders to store the sound. He envisaged the way this technology could be an asset in the office, and he was right! However, most of his phonograph machines were used for entertainment, some for playing lessons, and some for-teaching languages. In 1916 Edison introduced the Ediphone, which grew in popularity after the First World War and into the late 1920s until flat round records replaced the wax cylinders. This Edison Ediphone is significant for improving the way business administration was carried out in the early 20th century, freeing up precious time for professionals and administrative personnel. It was the forerunner of audio tapes and digital technology. The Ediphone enabled letters to be dictated when the time and place suited and reduced the time professionals needed to spend with their secretaries. Secretaries were able to type the letters as they played the recording and they could replay the message if necessary.Voice recorder; a dictation machine; desktop model Edison Ediphone. The electronic machine is in a medal case with remnants of the original grey colour. It has a rectangular base with an A4-sized footprint and a domed hood that retracts halfway into the back of the base. The corners of the base have metal reinforcing, and a short metal bar is on the front centre edge of the lid and the base. A long metal drum is mounted inside the machine. A round device called a ‘reproducer’ is mounted above the drum. There is a folding handle on the left front of the machine and an angled stand with paper guides in front of the drum. A rear cover has the maker’s name stamped on it. An electrical socket with eight pins is recessed beside the cover. Made by Edison.In white letters; “EDISON”flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime village, maritime museum, shipwreck coast, great ocean road, edison, ediphone, dictating machine, office equipment, voice recorder, usa, dictation, communication, office machine, dictaphone, speaking phonograph, thomas edison, ediphone voicewriter, voice writer

Twelve page book printed on heavy light brown paper, stapled with an oversize folded card cover titled "The Perfect System of Fare Collection and Control - The Automaticket Bell Punch System". Describes the Automaticket system, has samples of traffic tickets pasted in the book, diagrams, drawings, gives details of the components and method of operation. Published by the Bell Punch Company of London early to mid 1930's. On top right hand corner in pencil "Mr Turner 17-11-36" and bottom of cover "Bell Punch (A/Sia) Limited" and on bottom of page 1 "Bell Punch (A/Sia) Limited / 340 Collins Street / F2218 Melbourne".trams, tramways, tickets, ticket machines, buses

Yields information about the method that the State Electricity Commission of Vic undertook interviews for staff appointments. Gave advice of the era for such interviews and objectives of the interview.Thirty page book printed on heavy light brown paper, stapled with an folded card cover titled "The Automaticket Bell Punch System of Fare Collection and Control". Describes the Automaticket system, has samples of traffic tickets pasted in the book, diagrams, drawings, gives details of the components and method of operation in particular ticket inspection, ticket and checking back office functions. Published by the Bell Punch Company of London early to mid 1930's? Cover and each page headed "Confidential Information for Executives". Has a photo of South Western Roadlines double deck bus with a conductor. See also Reg. Item 3629 for another version of the pamphlet for this machine. In the rear cover of the book, folded and stapled to give a pocket, are listed three forms that would have been provided with the book - not with the collected copy. -However in the pocket were eleven 11 "Ticket Issue Machine" or "TIM" tickets - eg City of South Melbourne library fine, packing slips, sample meal tickets, Army canteen beer tickets, and sample bus tickets - including one pinned to a business card - John Bolland of Eastern Suburbs Omnibus Service who were the agents for the TIM machines. (image btm3645i3) Card has date of "4-1-50". Also three sample Bell punch tickets and one ultimate machine ticket - two 1d tickets. As well at the time of acquisition were a SEC Special Pass - to Reg Item 3648 and a SEC Staff Pass ticket - to Reg item 3649. Full scan of document added as a pdf file 5/6/2019. trams, tramways, tickets, ticket machines, buses, bell punch

This portable braille writer was made for the Royal Institute for the Blind, England. It embosses a roll of paper tape. A folding arm, which extends 29 centimetres beyond the width of the braille writer, holds the tape. The braille writer has six conventional keys and a spacing key. The bottom of the wooden carrying case serves as a base and is lined with green felt. It was manufactured by J.M. Glauser and Sons, who produced several braille writers in the period 1930-1950.Metal portable braille writer in a wooden box "JMG No. 17" is stamped on top of the machine.braille equipment, assistive devices

Henry Stainsby (1859-1925), Supt. of the Birmingham Royal Institution for the Blind, (later General Secretary of the British & Foreign Blind Association) along with Birmingham manufacturer Albert Wayne, introduced their Shorthand Braille Writer, circa 1910-1940. Used at the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind. These machines were often supplied with a case, to deaden the sound when in use. The machine was designed to take down verbatim reports from dictation. As the strip of paper passes automatically through the machine, no time is needed to adjust the paper or the machine for each line. Speeds of 80 - 140 words per minute can be obtained.Contained in a dark blue case which folds down to reveal the keys, this portable Braille writer has six flat keys in front and a space key, attached to a marking device at the back. A roll of thin white paper is mounted on an attachment to the side of the machine, and the paper is threaded along a channel at the top of the machine and comes out the other side in a continuous roll. A red round rubber guard is just behind the keys. Royal National Institute for the Blind label attached.braille equipment, royal victorian institute for the blind

White and blue folder from folded card printed with the Myki logo in the top right hand corner, and the web address, containing 4 sheets or papers about the launch of the Myki discovery centre. Each paper printed on A4 gloss paper in colour with Myki logo and header drawing. Questions and Answers sheet about Myki giving details on the operation known as the New Ticketing Solution - NTS. Fact Sheet 01 - giving the Myki milestones from 2006 to 2007. Newsletter issue 1 - dated September 2006 - printed to provide information to staff about the discovery centre. Has a list of acronyms. Sheet providing dates for the Myki discovery centre to each depot. Actual introduction was delayed due to initial issues in the system when launched.Along the top is a hand written note from Simone about the project coming to Camberwell on 19/10.trams, tramways, myki, tickets, ticket machines, tram depot

Pamphlet - DL size, three fold full colour printed on gloss paper titled "Tickets please - have the right ticket when you travel" Notes the need to produce a valid tickets, talks about on board ticketing machines, complaints, has the logos of connex, M>tram, M>train, Yarra and Vic bus industry on rear. Printed by Metcard - Dept. of Infrastructure. Two copies held.trams, tramways, metcard, metlink, m>tram, yarra trams, tickets

Edward Pyke and Jean Maurice Glauser invented this machine with the intention of enabling the easy and quiet production of Interpoint Braille. Although widely agreed to be one of the best Braille machines of its time, production of the machines was stopped during the Second World War because of rationing and high material costs. The machine has a keyboard arrangement at one end, the other end folds out to form a platform which is held up by a metal strut with rubber capping. An upward writing model, the paper feeds from the rear and passes under the space bar. The machine has no paper feed rollers. The only movement is that of the carriage that moves from left to right.Painted metal machine with metal keys that move a carriage across inserted sheets of paperRoyal National Institute for the Blind 228 Great Portland St London W1 Pyke-Glauser Braille Writer PG 48braille equipment, royal national institute for the blind