1876.05.25 English

In the left corner:Drawing of the Writing Ball

 

 

 

At the centre:                          R. MALLING HANSEN’s

 

              Writing Ball

 

                                             COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

 

 

 

                                                           MAY 25, 1876

 

 

 

MY DEAR  B R O T H E R ! - - ON THE VERY SAME DAY, NO THE DAY AFTER, THAT I HAD WRITTEN TO YOU, EMMA AND THE FOLLOWING DAY ZARAH WERE ATTACKED BY THE SCARLET FEVER. HOWEVER BOTH OF THEM ARE, JUST LIKE THE OTHERS, QUITE WELL; THEY ARE IN BED SINGING AND DRIVELING ABOUT FOR EVER. BUT ACCORDING TO THE DOCTOR’S RECOMMENDATION THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO REMAIN IN BED DURING THE PRESCRIBED 6 WEEKS.

 

 

ATTACHED I AM SENDING AN INTERESTING LETTER FROM THE GERMAN CONSUL IN CARLSKRONA, WHO WAS SO VERY HAPPY ABOUT THE WRITING BALL THAT HE BOUGHT; BUT THEN HE WAS UNLUCKY THAT WHILE AT A HOTEL THE BALL WAS TORN DOWN FROM A TABLE, FALLING ONTO THE FLOOR AND QUITE DAMAGED. IT WAS SENT HERE AND WAS DISPATCHED BACK TO HIM YESTERDAY IN RESTORED CONDITION. HE HAS DICTATED THE ENCLOSED LETTER. PLEASE RETURN IT TO ME.

 

 

YOU WILL SEE HERE YET ANOTHER TYPE OF INK-PAPER  BEING USED. IT WAS MADE BY MY BERLIN MAN IN ACCORDANCE WITH MY INSTRUCTIONS. IT IS STILL TOO DULL IN THE COLOUR, BUT IT HAS THE GOOD QUALITY THAT EVEN WHEN THE WRITING DOESN’T GO THROUGH THE COPYING-MACHI[1] - THE TYPES ARE STILL VERY MUCH READABLE.

 

 

WARMEST REGARDS FROM ALL OF US TO ALL OF YOU DEARS,

 

 

            YOUR DEEPLY DEVOTED BROTHER    R. M. H.

 

 

[1] CB: At this point the word: ‘COPIMASKI-‘ ends because of a line shift. The rest of the word is missing. As we know, RMH discovered the ‘xerography’ already in 1872.  Incredibly, though, his letters don’t make any reference whatsoever to this technique – but here he is using the word ‘COPI-MASKI’!!!! This may be the first time in the world that the word ‘copying machine’ is being used? And which machine is he referring to? A machine in his possession? And what may be the meaning of “even when the writing doesn’t go through the copying machine’?? Whatever may he be referring to? SA: I think that RMH with the word “copying machine” refers to the paper platen that he usually used to make the colour from the carbonized paper sit tighter. He also states this in a later letter. It can be seen on the scanned original letter, that the colour of the carbonized paper is to pale.