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History of Science Museum

James Watt's Copying Press Box

Inventory Number 84042


Item type
Object
Dimensions
Height: 130mm Width: 457mm Depth: 294mm Weight: 8800g
Inventory No
84042
Accession Number
1940-9

Description

Copying press in a square mahogany box with copper alloy reinforced corners, hinges, handles, and a lock.  Inside of one half of the case, there are compartments, one of which holds a pair of gilt rollers with two boards covered in green felt between the rollers.  In between the two boards, there are sheets of brown card and white paper.  In another compartments, there is a copper alloy and mahogany key for turning the gilt rollers.  There is also an open glass bottle, which possibly held ink at one point.  In another, there is a straw brush stored in a silver alloy case.  In a drawer below this part of the copying press, there is a tray lined with metal, which has two strips of green felt on the interior and also contains two notebooks, one labelled "THE WETTING BOOK" and the other labelled "THE DRYING BOOK".  In the other half of the mahogany case, there is a hinged tablet which folds out of the case into two parts and is covered in thin black leather.  The tablet can be supported by a mahogany and copper alloy stand which pivots out of the case and has arms that fold outwards.  Contained within, there is an instructional booklet for the use of the copying press and a wooden half-pipe painted black.