Call them Spirit duplicators or Ditto machines… if the mention of those words sends you back in time, you’re not alone. If you’re like me, you can actually still smell that duplicating fluid. Ah, there’s nothing like the smell of mimeographs in the morning. Smells like victory.
The purple perfection
In the days when photocopiers were expensive and finicky, the Ditto or mimeograph ruled supreme. These were simple machines that untrained people could use all day with little fear of breaking anything. Today’s teachers may do a lot online, but back in the 20th century, most teachers spent a lot of their time making copies to distribute to their classrooms. Ditto machines and mimeograph machines made that possible.
A Ditto is not a Mimeo
Most people used the terms “Ditto machine,” “Spirit Duplicator,” and “Mimeograph” interchangeably. But in the end these are different devices, made by different companies. Dittos and Spirit machines use very similar technology but mimeographs use a different, older technology. Chances are that people said “mimeo” when they meant “ditto” because they probably had a mimeo at one point that was replaced by a ditto.
These machines were the heart and soul of life in public schools for most of the late 20th century. Until the 1990s, photocopiers were not only expensive but very hard to use. One staple could cost thousands of dollars in repair if fed through the automatic document feeder. (Yes, that’s the voice of experience you hear there.) The quality of photocopiers wasn’t really that good either, and speeds were quite slow. Of course, the development of general-purpose computer chips helped copiers, and helped seal the fate of dittos and mimeos.
Get ready to smell that smell
Is the discussion of Spirit duplicators bringing a sense memory back to you? Are you smelling a freshly-made purple sheet as you read this? You’ll love these videos showing Spirit duplicators and mimeographs in action!
These Youtubes really bring me back to my school days. Personally, I spent a lot of time as a teacher’s pet, doing duplication using these machines. Yes, I was that guy. What about you? Check out the comments section and let’s get the discussion started!
