Facsimile - Facsimiles in The Age of Mechanical Reproduction

Facsimiles in The Age of Mechanical Reproduction

Advances in the art of facsimile are closely related to advances in printmaking. Maps, for instance, were the focus of early explorations in making facsimiles, although these examples often lack the rigidity to the original source that is now expected. An early example being the Abraham Ortelius map (1598). Innovations during the 18th century, especially in the realms of lithography and aquatint saw an explosion in the number of facsimiles after old master drawings that could be studied from afar.

At the present time, facsimiles are generally made by the use of some form of photographic technique. For documents, a facsimile most often refers to document reproduction by a photocopy machine in modern times. In past times a technique such as the photostat, hectograph, or lithograph may have been used to create the facsimile. And in the digital age, an image scanner, a personal computer, and a desktop printer can be used to make a facsimile.

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