Here’s an advertisement for Spayd’s Typewriter Company from the program/souvenir booklet for the play L’Aiglon starring Maude Adams which played in Philadelphia at The Broad Street Theater back in 1901.

Mr. Rufus Spayd sold, leased and repaired typewriters and duplicating devices. Curious as to what duplicating devices were at the time, I did some research and was surprised to discover there were numerous options at the time.

The Neostyle Company marketed the first rotary stencil duplicator in 1898. The following year they offered a model with the choice of a hand crank, foot treadle, or electric motor.

There was also a mimeograph – invented by Thomas Edison, and sold by the A.B. Dick Company of Chicago in 1900. Here is the 1896 ad for the Edison Mimeograph.

Duplicating machines were the predecessors of printers and photocopiers, Mr. Spayd was Kinko’s before there was a Kinko’s!

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