Ashcan copy

Okay kiddo, you know how when we draw something or write something on a piece of paper, we can make a copy of it using a photocopier? Well, back in the olden days before photocopiers were invented, people had to make copies by hand.

One way they did this was by using something called an "ashcan copy". This is when they would take the original piece of paper, put it face down on a piece of ashcan (which is basically just a type of cardboard), and then rub it with a special kind of ink or charcoal. The pressure and ink would transfer the image onto the ashcan.

Then, they would take another piece of paper and put it on top of the ashcan with the image on it, and rub again. This would transfer the image from the ashcan onto the new piece of paper, creating a copy of the original.

It was kind of like when we rub a pencil over a coin to make an impression, but instead of a coin, they used ashcan and instead of just making a cool design, they were making a copy of important things like letters or documents.

So that's what an ashcan copy is, a way of making a copy of a document by rubbing it onto another piece of paper using ashcan and ink.