People Using Mimeograph Machines

PCC Library Digital Collections.

“Office worker using a mimeograph.”

Daily, archivists who deal with Twentieth Century collections come into contact with the remains of duplicating processes past:  carbon copies, thermofax, early xeriographic copies, and a personal favorite of our director, the mimeograph, or “Ditto.”

People of a certain age will remember the delicious smell of the copy room at their school that came courtesy of the Ditto machine (a distinct combination of methanol and isopropanol).  The Ditto, unlike the carbon copy - typed document, could quickly transmit hand-drawings onto worksheets and school flyers.  A fabulous example of this process was found in the records of the Principal of Schools for the Fort Apache Indian Agency, George E. Eubank. His portrait was drawn and mimeographed by a representative of the Ditto Company, presumably at the 1932 National Education Association (NEA) conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Three years later, he was encouraging one of the teachers who worked for him to take a look.  “If you should go to Phoenix this week-end and have any spare time, you would probably be interested in seeing a demonstration of the DITTO machines,” he encouraged Miss Anne Raymond, “so that when we can afford to buy a duplicating machine we will all be familiar with [them].” Who wouldn’t want to travel 225 miles to explore the mysteries of mimeograph?

For those of you who are not of a certain age, or would like to wax poetic about a foregone era, the Internet Archive has a great informational film from 1960s shared by the Periscope Film archive showing how the mimeograph or “Spirit Duplicator.” works.  Enjoy!  

#VoicesfromtheStacks

Tigrina

Edythe DeVinney Eyde, best known as Tigrina, also known as Lisa Ben, was born in California in 1921. She is known today for her work as creator of Vice Versa, the first lesbian magazine in the United States, but she also was active writing for science fiction fanzines in the 1940s.

She declared herself a Satanist, stood up to many of the men in fandom circles, and excited and offended many. As Tigrina, she pushed and broke boundaries. As Lisa Ben, she published the first lesbian journal. An excellent introduction to Tigrina is Special Collections Summer Seminar video featuring Rich Dana, Olson Graduate Assistant, entitled: Who is Tigrina? Exploring Identity in Early SF Fandom.

A page from Voice of the Imagination (VOM) fanzine, 1941, that appears in University of Iowa Libraries Rusty Hevelin Science Fiction Collection shows an introduction to Tigrina. It features “The Devil Doll,” about a “mysterious miss who shakes a mean spear!” and appeared as a regular feature with Tales of Tigrina.

Tigrina was a trailblazer, a lesbian writer brazenly publishing at a time when it could have landed her in jail. It’s time to learn more about her by exploring her works that frequently appear in the Hevelin collection at Special Collections & Archives.

–Rachel M-H, Special Collections Olson Graduate Assistant

Sources: Photo of Tigrina dressed in leopard print: ONE Archives at USC Libraries

Photo of VOM fanzine: DIY History