Writing Inventions

Victorian Writing Inventions

Writing is at the base of the Western world’s ‘recorded’ communications. Even after the creation of the Guttenberg Press, most people still handwrote their stories, their news. In the Victorian Era, there were several inventions aimed at helping people more easily ink their thoughts on paper.

Here are two we think were pretty novel:

Writing Stabilizer

While this invention might have been creative and unusual, it was actually very practical and useful.  Since traveling was done by train or carriage, this piece of ‘literary equipment’ was designed to help stabilize one’s arm while in a moving vehicle. An idea that did not take hold beyond the era of its creation.

Diplograph 

The idea behind the diplograpgh was meant make the task of writing of more than one copy simpler and less time consuming. It produced an embossed version of an ordinary writing that literally doubled one’s writing efforts.

We wonder how today’s writing tools, such as the computer pen and Dragon voice recognition software, will be viewed by future writers and communicators.
To learn more about an earlier print-related invention - Chinese Moveable Type - click here.