Historical information

David Gestetner was born in Csoma, Hungary in 1854. In 1879, after moving to London, he lodged his first of several patents for copying technology over the next two years. In 1881 he formed the Gestetner Cyclograph Company which manufactured patented devices that are now considered the first examples of office automation. The Gestetner machine allowed many exact copies to be made of a document or an image, which had a profound effect upon how businesses and community organisations operated. This in turn had a profound impact on how people across society interacted with and accessed information. In 1906 the Gestetner Works opened in Tottenham Hale, north of London, which operated through to the 1970s. Sales and service centres opened in many locations around the world as the business grew.

Early versions of the Gestetner machine required the user to write on wax coated stencil paper with a stylus. The stencil was then placed over a sheet of paper and ink rolled over the stencil to form an impression on the paper beneath. The innovation of this was that the stencil could be used multiple times to make an exact copy. Subsequent models introduced further innovations such as a rolling mechanism, an automatic paper feed, synchronised rotation of the paper and rolling ink drum and incorporating elements of manual typewriters to produce stencils. This model, number 6, dates to approximately 1902, and was the first to feature synchronised rotation.

David Gestetner died in 1936. He was succeeded in his company by his son and grandsons. The Gestetner Company bought smaller competitor firms such as Nashua, Rex Rotary, Hanimex and Savin before being purchased by Ricoh in 1996.

Significance

This item is significant as an example of office technology in use in the Emerald area in the early Twentieth Century. The copying process initiated by the Gestetner company is acknowledged to have changed office practices significantly. This particular model is considered a pioneer of office automation techniques. It is not known which business purchased and used the machine.

Physical description

Green, black and silver metal and wood machine sized for tabletop use. The design includes dials, rollers, handles and levers which guide sheets of paper through the machine.

Inscriptions & markings

Front:
D. Gestetner's /
CYCLOSTYLE D. Gestetner's Patents NO. 6 /
MACDOUGALLS LIMITED /
SYDNEY /
MELBOURNE ADELAIDE BRISBANE /

Left side:
MANUFACTURED /
BY /
D. Gestetner /
No. 44574 /
CYCLOSTYLE WORKS /
TOTTENHAM HALE. /
LONDON.N. /
D. Gestetner's ROTARY CYCLOSTYLE /

Right side:
D. Gestetner's ROTARY CYCLSTYLE /

Back:
VEMU1594 /
GESTETNER'S ROTARY CYCLOSTYLE /
DUPLICATING APPARATUS /
(GESTETNER'S PATENTS) /
AUTION: Each sheet of Rotary /
cyclostyle Paper and each Tube of Ink must bear my signature as follows. /
D. Gestetner's /