Mimeograph machine

Have you ever used a printer to make copies of a picture or a word document? Well, a long time ago, before there were printers like we have now, people used a machine called a mimeograph to make copies of things.

The mimeograph machine had a big drum that was kind of like a big, fat rolling pin. People would put a piece of paper with the words or picture they wanted to copy facedown on top of the drum. Then they would use a special pen to write or draw on a piece of paper that was on top of a sheet of wax, kind of like tracing.

The writing or drawing would create small holes in the wax where the lines were. Then they would take the wax paper off and put the paper with the holes on the drum. The drum spun around and pressed ink through the holes onto the paper underneath it.

This made copies of the writing or drawing on the paper underneath. The ink was usually a pretty color, like purple or blue. That's why sometimes you might still hear people refer to copies made on a mimeograph machine as "purple copies."

Mimeograph machines were used mainly in schools and offices to make copies of worksheets, newsletters, and other papers. They were eventually replaced by newer and faster copying machines, but they played an important part in making copies of things before we had the technology we have now.