Historical information

The incomplete set of copper stencils was used some time ago to print Old English letters. They still have the remains of black ink on them. The user places the stencil on top of the surface to be labelled, then paints, rolls or brushes ink onto the surface of the stencil, allowing the ink to cover the surface that is exposed by the cutout in the stencil. Stencils in a variety of materials have been in use for thousands of years to reproduce images and letters; examples include wood, metal, cardboard, paper and wax.

The box once contained a Silver Stork brand feather pen.

Significance

The stencil set represents a form of manually produced printing and labelling. The process has been used

Physical description

Stencils, copper; twenty-two stencils of the old English alphabet, stored in a pale green cardboard rectangular box that once contained a feather pen called The Silver Stork feather pen.

Inscriptions & markings

Box is labelled "The Silver Stork" "A Scribbling Pen"
Image; [a feather' with text "Silver Feathers"