repurposed american industrial three-legged "edison-dick" mimeoscope or "light box" side table designed and fabricated in part by the a.b. dick co., chicago, il. the revolving machine is supported by a brushed cast iron base containing cabriole style legs. the folded steel tapered box contains a newly added darkly stained pine wood tabletop. the refinished iron base contains a clear coat lacquer. a mimeoscope, which is basically a light table, had an electrically illuminated glass top on which the operator traced drawings onto mimeograph stencils. the stencil took the place of tracing paper. the electric light was needed because the stencils were heavier and less transparent than tracing paper. the a. b. dick company was a major american manufacturer of copy machines and office supplies in the late 19th century and the 20th century. the company was founded in 1883 in chicago as a lumber company by albert blake dick. it soon expanded into office supplies and, after licensing key autographic printing patents from thomas edison, became the world's largest manufacturer of mimeograph equipment (albert dick coined the word "mimeograph"). the company introduced the model "0" flatbed duplicator in 1887. later on, the flatbed duplicators were replaced by devices using a rotating cylinder with automatic ink feed. basic models were hand-cranked while more elaborate machines used an electric motor. the company had a new headquarters built in 1926, the building at 728 west jackson now called haberdasher square lofts, and remained there until their move to suburban niles in 1949. the company virtually created the business of "quick printing" via storefront shops that printed from disposable plates on duplicators tens of thousands of its model 350 and 360 duplicator were sold, many of which are still in use. a. b. dick also produced machines using the competing spirit duplicator technology. starting in the 1960s, xerography began to overtake a. b. dick's older mimeograph technology. measures approximately 24 x 17 x 30 inches.