Author: Keith Tyler
Thursday, 22 July 1999 - 10:36 pm |        |
facsimile \Fac*sim"i*le, n.; an exact copy or reproduction.
The police in 1888 had created facsimile's of the ripper letters. I wondered what techniques were involved in creating such copies, especially the color ones. Although the dictionary indicates that facsimile would mean an exact copy, I wonder how accurate such copies would be?
Keith |
Author: Christopher George
Friday, 23 July 1999 - 06:20 am | |
Hello Keith:
The facsimiles of the September 25 Dear Boss letter and the Saucy Jacky postcard received by the Central News Agency are exact facsimiles of the originals printed on the police broadside asking anyone who recognized the writing to come forward. If they were not exact copies, the distribution of the poster would have had no utility.
Such period facsimiles can also be seen in the book by Alexander MacDougall of 1891 on the Maybrick Case, although not a facsimile of the diary. I wonder why not? Oh, er, it hadn't been brought to public notice yet, that's it, silly me!
What is curious about the police poster showing the text of the Dear Boss communications and that includes the envelope of the Dear Boss letter and the address side of the postcard is that neither of the latter shows a stamp. The postcard is missing from the Public Record Office. However, a recent color photograph of the envelope of the September 25 letter which can still be viewed in the PRO shows that there is a stamp on the envelope. How is it that the reproduction technique used to copy these materials for the broadside picked up the postmark but not the stamp? I am assuming that the type of reproduction was an early type of photocopier that would make an exact copy of handwriting and printed (typeset) or rubberstamped lettering but that was not sensitive enough to pick up the subtler tones of a postage stamp. Can someone enlighten us?
Chris George |
Author: Diana Comer
Friday, 23 July 1999 - 06:39 am | |
What technology are we talking about here? I am 53 years old (creak, groan) and I can remember the advent of the xerox machine in my lifetime.
Before that all we had was carbon paper! Wait! there was the ditto machine, but can you see Jack getting a dittomaster, etc. etc LOL! |
Author: Ashling
Sunday, 25 July 1999 - 01:28 am | |
Hi y'all.
Is Spirit Duplication a possibility?
MICROSOFT ENCARTA '97 ONLINE ENCYCLOPEDIA:
"In spirit duplication - a paper master bearing images formed from carbon dye is moistened with an alcohol solution, dissolving some of the dye, which is then deposited on a piece of paper. This process is repeated rapidly to print multiple copies."
Per Encarta the coal tar dye process was developed or discovered in 1826. Don't know if that's similar to carbon dye or not.
Seems like you'd need to use tracing paper or some such to hand copy the first duplicate, though. Perhaps someone with expertise in this area can enlighten us.
Thanks,
Janice |
Author: Christopher George
Sunday, 25 July 1999 - 06:44 am | |
Hi, Ashling:
By jove, I think you may have it! I think you are possibly right and the facsimiles were produced by Spirit Duplication. I will try to look into this further, but I think this might be the process that was used.
Chris George |
Author: Diana Comer
Sunday, 25 July 1999 - 12:03 pm | |
| If this is the same as a ditto machine which I use all the time as a teacher, no. You can make a ditto master one of two ways. You get a blank master and write on it (why would JTR or your garden variety hoaxer do this?) or 2) you can take an ordinary document (but it has to be black carbon ink) run it through a thermofax machine tucked into a blank ditto master and you get an image on the ditto master. If you assume that the thermofax was around in 1888 which is a big assumption, then you have to explain the color of the ink. Think back to your school days. Remember those tests and worksheets your teacher gave you that were in purplish blue ink and smelled funny? That was ditto. If ditto and spirit duplication are not the same then please disregard the above. But the process sounds the same. |
Author: Ashling
Sunday, 25 July 1999 - 03:39 pm | |
Hi y'all.
DIANA: No - different processes, but your info leads the way to clarifying my earlier post ---
MICROSOFT ENCARTA '97 ONLINE ENCYCLOPEDIA:
"Modern photocopiers use an electrostatic process known as xerography. In the past, important copying processes included mimeography, spirit duplication, thermography, and the diazo methods. Photocopiers use the same principle as laser printers.
CHRIS: Thanks for the encouragement. Hope you find more detailed info ... As you well know - Pooling resources is this Website's #1 purpose. [Right, Stephen? :-)...]
Take care,
Janice |
