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An Antique Stenography Machine – Pic of the Week

Posted by: Robert Brammer

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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. Julie Graves Krishnaswami says:

    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. Stacy Etheredge says:

    Loved this – too, too cool.
    🙂

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