Featured Postcard: Bureau of Engraving and Printing

Discussion in 'Ephemera and Photographs' started by moreotherstuff, Oct 20, 2022.

  1. moreotherstuff

    moreotherstuff Izorizent

    I was amazed when I first saw this image. I don't know when the picture was taken, probably very early in the 1900s. It shows the large press room at the Washington Bureau of Engraving and Printing. According to the postcard's caption, all U.S. currency was produced on small hand-operated presses by the 700 people working in this room. I think that's true for stamps as well, and for whatever other engraved documents the government provided. I don't know when the practice ended.

    There's a whole series of these postcards: adding the serial numbers to paper currency, counting bills into standard packages, perforating stamp sheets, etc.

    z Postcard Large Press Room Bureau of Engraving & Printing Washington -a.jpg

    z Postcard Large Press Room Bureau of Engraving & Printing Washington -b.jpg

    z Postcard Large Press Room Bureau of Engraving & Printing Washington -c.jpg

    Seeing how this stuff was done, it's surprising that known variants aren't unending.

    http://www.streetsofwashington.com/2010/04/sweatshop-bureau-of-engraving-and.html
     
  2. charlie cheswick

    charlie cheswick Well-Known Member

    Great image. Are some of the heads superimposed ?

    Reminds me of the sgt pepper album cover
     
  3. moreotherstuff

    moreotherstuff Izorizent

    I don't know who took the photo, or how. Certainly looks hand colored.
     
  4. charlie cheswick

    charlie cheswick Well-Known Member

    Don't these, look somewhat altered

    z Postcard Large Press Room Bureau of Engraving & Printing Washington -ah.jpg
     
    judy, Born2it and pearlsnblume like this.
  5. moreotherstuff

    moreotherstuff Izorizent

    Probably are, but I think its part of transforming a B&W photo into a color print at that time.
     
    judy and charlie cheswick like this.
  6. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    reminds me how lots of folks used to have good paying jobs making actual stuff....

    the stuff dreams are made of !!:rolleyes:
     
    judy and charlie cheswick like this.
  7. Lithographer

    Lithographer Well-Known Member

    The solvent fumes must have been very strong. I’m guessing there wasn’t any powered ventilation.
     
    Potteryplease and judy like this.
  8. Lithographer

    Lithographer Well-Known Member

    I'm with you on that one. I am a big supporter of the trades. I have some friends that are instructors in the machine trades and they tell me their students get poached before they even finish their programs, there is that much of a demand! We need more people swinging hammers and turning wrenches.
     
    komokwa and Potteryplease like this.
  9. moreotherstuff

    moreotherstuff Izorizent

    I can imagine that place in the middle of a summer heat wave.

    What makes you think these were well paying jobs? Read the article in the link.
     
    komokwa likes this.
  10. moreotherstuff

    moreotherstuff Izorizent

    Yea, there's some odd looking heads here:

    z Postcard Large Press Room Bureau of Engraving & Printing Washington -e.jpg

    I'd guess the head in the photo had motion blur, so they made an edit.
     
    Bakersgma likes this.
  11. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    lots of folks used to have good paying jobs

    I didn't mean necessarily THESE folks...:wideyed::wideyed::playful::playful::playful:
     
    moreotherstuff likes this.
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