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An Antique Stenography Machine – Pic of the Week

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Our picture of the week is a device I came across while helping a relative clean out her parents’ home. It is an antique stenography machine, a device that would have been used by a court reporter or a secretary in the early to mid-20th century. This model is a Stenotype Master Model 4, and has a sticker from LaSalle University Extension attached to it. LaSalle was a popular correspondence school that was located in Chicago and which acquired the rights to produce this machine from 1928 – the 1940s. LaSalle offered many programs, including a course in law from which Colonel Harland Sanders, of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame, was a graduate.

An image of an antique stenography machine on a table.
The Stenotype Master Model 4. Photograph by Robert Brammer.
A closeup image of an antique stenography machine on a table.
The Stenotype Master Model 4. Photograph by Robert Brammer.

Do you have any antiques that are related to the law? Let us know in the comments.

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Comments (3)

  1. Thank you for this post, the photo, and links. I’d love to learn about the (mainly) women who operated these machines. Any suggestions for sources?

  2. Loved this – too, too cool.
    🙂

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