Being a historical author comes with its pitfalls. One common problem is figuring out how people handled not-so-daily tasks in the era you’re writing about—especially when it leads you down a rabbit hole of research!
You can never predict what tiny bit of historical minutiae will have you stuck for hours—or days. In my recent book, the culprit was figuring out how to make a copy of a marriage certificate. My heroine needed to prove to her lawyer back home that she was married. Being a modern person, I naturally wrote that the lawyer requested a copy of her marriage certificate.
Then, I thought, “Wait a minute. No photocopiers back then.” Wyoming wasn’t a state yet, and its counties were massive—some as large as 10,000 square miles. The idea of running to the county seat to get an official copy didn’t seem practical. After all, traveling by horse would have taken days, especially across such vast, rugged terrain.
After a bit of thinking, I decided to have the pastor send a letter confirming that he had performed the wedding.
But then something funny happened. I visited The Bird Cage Theatre in Tombstone, Arizona.
Images of The Bird Cage Theater used with permission.
The Bird Cage, a notorious brothel, closed its doors in 1892. When new owners opened them again in 1929, they discovered something remarkable: nothing had been touched in the intervening fifty years. Layers of dust covered the furniture, posters, and even the famous painting of Fatima that still hangs there today. The owners saw this not as a mess to clean up but as a time capsule—a treasure trove of the past. It was almost like stepping back in time, into the Old West.
As I wandered through the back room where many of these items are displayed, I came across something called a Letterpress. This device was used to copy documents by moistening ink, placing new paper next to it, and applying pressure, which just goes to show that human ingenuity has never been restricted by technology. Even before the photocopier, people had created tools to replicate documents, and the Letterpress was one of the earliest methods.
Images of The Bird Cage Theater used with permission.
A little more research turned up other interesting historical copying methods. For instance, George Washington used a copying press to make duplicates of the official letters he sent. This early method involved placing a wet sheet of paper over an inked letter and pressing it, transferring the ink and creating a duplicate. I even found a video of some one demonstrating the technique using the actual device Washington used. Can you imagine touching history in that manner?
Then there were the mimeograph machines, which I remember from my school days. When we used those duplicated worksheets, I had no idea that this device was invented by Thomas Edison in 1876. The mimeograph used stencils to transfer ink onto paper, and while it might seem old-fashioned, it was an essential tool in offices and schools for decades before photocopiers came along.
And, of course, the printing press was used to mass-produce newspapers, pamphlets, and other printed materials across the West. The printing press played a significant role in shaping the way information spread, making it a cornerstone of historical communication.
Images of The Bird Cage Theater used with permission.
So, it turns out that humanity has been making copies of documents long before the photocopier was invented. While modern technology makes it easier, the solutions of the past were equally creative, even if they were a bit more labor-intensive. The lesson here is simple: when people need something badly enough, they always find a way.
Your turn: What’s the most fascinating piece of historical trivia you’ve learned recently? Is there a historical invention that you think is underappreciated, yet made a huge impact on its time? Have you ever come across a historical detail that made you rethink a well-known event or idea? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Three commenters will receive an ecopy of my book, A Steadfast Heart.
I cannot think of any invention. A historical book that brought out some facts during the depression that were interesting and was just an overall good historical book was Before we were yours by Lisa Wingate. Look forward to reading the wind river brides series.
I love books that bring out a new view on a historical period, and the depression is an era that isn’t covered as much. Sounds like a book I need to look into.
I hope you enjoy our series.
Martha
Although we use the term mail-order bride a lot in historical Western novels, the term actually didn’t exist before around 1929.
What a neat trivia note! Thanks for sharing.
I remember learning about the Poby Express and then discovering that while it was an important 2,000 miile link but lasted on 18 months and was superceded by the completion of the transcontinental telegraph.
I am always surprised by the things in history that take on a life of their own, The Pony Express being one of them. It lasted for such a short time, but something about it grabs the imagination.
thank you for sharing your post today. very interesting. I have always wondered who made the first “western saddle”. I grew up on a farm. was in 4-H and rode our palomino “Goldie” for years. and yet wondered when the first western saddle was made. Goldies back bone would have made riding excruciating.
Okay, now I’m going to have to try to figure that out. What a great question.
Memories of the smell of ditto. Enjoyed the post.
And I’ll never forget the image of the teacher giving a stack of pages to the first person in each row. The first person sniffs, then hands it back. The second person, third person and so forth all sniff the paper before they pass it back. But I don’t remember ever seeing a teacher sniff them. Hmmm, I wonder . . .
Welcome Martha! Wanted to tell you I enjoyed Protecting the Cowgirl. And this book also sounds good! I think the telephone replacing the telegraph was interesting. Baby, we have come a long way on telecommunications, haven’t we? Unreal if you think about it! What would our ancestors think of this today?
Best wishes on your new adventure in writing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed Protecting the Cowgirl. Jo was such a special character.
I remember watching The Jetsons, and seeing the “video phone.” And now we have them, or something similar enough to count.
Nothing comes to mind right now. Lol. The book sounds great!
I hope you enjoy it!
While this is not something I learned recently, it is and always will be fascinating to me. When I first got involved in computer science (my husband was taking a class), I would help him sometimes by “typing” some of his work using keypunch cards. I got fascinated with the process and would then take a computer science class myself. Typing those funny looking cards, seeing the multitude of them fed into the room-sized computer and then having what you “typed: printed out on those huge pieces of paper was fascinating to me. I also worked briefly as a long distance telephone operator, plugging in those cords to connect people to each other. We have indeed come a long way, baby!
One of the stories I love about the advances of computers is the origin of the term “bug.” Supposedly a computer wasn’t working properly, and Grace Hopper (an early computer designer) opened the case (or whatever you did to computer in that day) and found a moth inside!
There are folks who say the term “bug” was used in a broader engineering sense well before this, but I still love the story.
Welcome to P&P, Martha. We’re glad to have you. I once saw a “copy machine” from the 1800s at an even at Fort Concho in San Angelo here in Texas. It was interesting to see. In doing research for a book, I was surprised to see the Egyptians had perfected a way to remove tattoos back in the Pharoah’s time. Slaves could work their way up and when they did they had to remove their tattoo designation for the lower status. I really was a bit shocked at this. Enjoy your stay and wishing you tons of success with your new book.
Removing tattoos in Ancient Egypt? Fascinating!
Thank you for the welcome and the well wishes. I am enjoying reading the comments.
Thank you for this giveaway!
You are very welcome.
What I find fascinating is that books of the Bible were all handwritten over and over and over, through many, many years, and yet it’s all intact, with only very small changes. I remember the old mimeograph machines, too, and how much easier it is now, especially with computers instead of typewriters!! Part of the reason I can’t use a laptop is all the years of typing I had and to keep my fingers on the right keys!!
That is fascinating. I remember back in 2000, they chose a “man of the millenium.” It was Gutenberg. I had to agree with them. Moveable type made more difference than I can wrap my head around.
can’t think of anything
I do remember smelling the papers when the Teacher handed them to me to pass back amongst the rest of the class and even typing test, etc on those sheets for Teachers to then copy! Nothing else comes to mind about any other outdated thing!
Yeah, I think we all remember that smell!
If you cross violet horned pansy and colorful, fragrant pansy, from one seed grows a plant that has violet pansies which don’t smell at all and colorful, fragrant pansies.
That I would love to see!
Just buy violet horned pansies (or their seeds) or whatever other pansy you like and colorful, fragrant pansies (I have no idea what the species is called), let them crossbreed and take the seeds as soon as the seed pods open -otherwise the seeds fly all over. Plant the seeds and enjoy the results.
I find all history very is fascinating. I hated history growing up but as I got older, I found that I was drawn to antique stores and such. Drives my boyfriend crazy. lol
Your article here was interesting because said boyfriend works a printing press for an envelope company. It’s really just copying over and over. lol Well, to be fair, there is a lot more work into it than that. We’ve found Henry Ford Museum in Detroit Michigan has some interesting machinces from the past for printing. I believe all their paper items are printed right there on such machines.
That sounds like a place I need to visit!
This information was fascinating to me. I had never thought about how they would show proof of marriage, birth or other things back then. Never knew they actually did have ways to make copies. Thanks for the information. I also love how you thought to have the pastor write a letter confirming the marriage.
I used a mimeograph machine to make copies of our church bulletin back when I was in high school. A friend and I would type the bulletin then make copies.
I was really surprised to find out about the copiers as well. I didn’t even think to research it, because I assumed they didn’t exist. Then I went to that museum. Museums are dangerous things!
Interesting info about printing. I love history.
I do, too.
I think the equipment that the surveyors used in 16th through the 18th centuries had to be some very clever inventions to measure distance and angles of land.
It would be, at that. I imagine learning how to use it would be difficult.
Caselli’s Pantelegraph was the first FAX machine using designs from earlier scientists. It was used about the time of the US civil war. I found watching The Murdock Murders show fascinating as he is constantly finding new equipment to use in his work. It was amazing what people came up with.
Really??? I never heard of that one!
Pineapples used to be a status symbol in England. To show off your wealth, people would carry one.
Okay, now I am picturing everyone carrying a pineapple as they walked down the street! The strange things people do.
Great historical tidbit.
Recently I read an article about Coffin (coffyn) pies. During Medieval times, there of course was no refrigeration. The crusts of these pies were several inches thick. The meat, etc. was placed in the crust and a crust lid placed on top and sealed. Because of the thickness of the crust, the pie would have to be baked for hours. This sealed the contents completely and would preserve the contents for days. These pies could be stored in the kitchen or taken on trips. The crust would be broken when it was time to serve. The crust was too hard to eat so was discarded, given to the poor, or broken up and used as a thickener for soups and stews. The ancient Romans and Egyptians did something similar, but it cam into its own and was perfected during Medieval times. It was a bit like preserving things by canning them.
I don’t know whether to say “What ingenuity!” or “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Guess I’ll say both.
I knew about salting to preserve things, but I never heard of this one. Thanks for sharing it.
I think learning something new every day is important. This mine for today–thanks for a fascinating trip through history. Just got back from Montana where Virginia City and Ennis were rife with history–for instance, I didn’t know that prospectors in that area panned not only for gold, but also for garnets! Who knew?
Garnets! I agree, who knew?