Towards a History of Recording Technologies: The Damp-press Copying Process

This paper offers an examination of the invention and development of James Watt's system for copying documents. This was the first technological innovation in the reproduction of documents in the industrial revolution. It spread rapidly and became used in all parts of the world and by all types of administration. It was replaced eventually by new copying technologies and by new systems of filing. This study examines the technical difficulties faced by Watt (paper standards, the chemistry of the ink, making and distributing the presses). It is based primarily on Watt's correspondence in the Birmingham City Archives, and refers to the proceedings of the Lunar Society.