Punctograph

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Copyright Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind
Image Punctograph
Enlarge Image
Object ID 1991.97
Object Name Braillewriter
Title Punctograph
Made American Printing House for the Blind?
Place of Origin Louisville, KY?
Date 1885?
Description This upward writing device item is probably a punctograph; six keys are hollow styli which produce braille by forcing the paper onto the formed braille matrix strip.
Provenance/History This item might have been produced at APH circa 1890. However, unlike the McElroy punctograph made at APH as described in the book "The Technological Origin and Development of Mechanical Writing Devices for the Blind," this punctograph is six-dot with six keys instead of two. The McElroy Point Writer, one of the earliest upward writing point writers, was patented by James McElroy in 1888. The machine wrote in New York Point. This writer, by an unknown maker but operating on similar principles, was intended to write in American braille.
Dimension notes 6.3 x 30.5 x 7 cm.
Material Brass, steel, aluminum
Subjects Blind.
Printing and writing systems.
Aids for the blind and visually handicapped.
Instructional aids, tools, and supplies.
Prototypes.
Credit line APH Collection, 1991.97
Image Courtesy Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind. Note: use of some materials may be restricted, please call before publishing in any format.

For more information contact the museum at 502-899-2365    museum@aph.org
Last modified on: August 26, 2008