Photocopier

Hello, I'm a Photocopier. You might know me as a copy machine. I am like a magical box that can make copies of pictures and words in a flash. Before I was born, if you wanted to share a drawing with a friend, you would have to draw it all over again. And if a grown-up wanted a copy of a letter, they had to write every single word again with a pen. It took a very, very long time. It made sharing ideas so slow. But a clever and kind man named Chester Carlson knew there had to be a better, faster way to share things with everyone. He had a wonderful idea that would soon bring me to life.

Chester worked hard in a small, quiet room to create me. He used a special kind of magic called static electricity. It’s the same tickly feeling you get when a balloon sticks to your hair after you rub it on your head. On a very special day, October 22nd, 1938, he was finally ready. He took a piece of glass with some words on it. Then, he used a super bright light that went FLASH. After the flash, he sprinkled a soft, puffy cloud of black powder over a special plate. POOF. The powder stuck to the plate just like the words on the glass. He gently pressed a piece of paper onto it, and when he lifted it up, there I was. I was the very first copy. I was a little bit messy, but I was real. I had the words '10-22-38 Astoria' written on me.

From that one little copy made with a flash and a poof, I started to grow up. At first, I was a small experiment, but soon I became the big, helpful machine you can see in schools and offices today. I love my job because I get to help so many people. I help teachers make fun coloring pages for everyone in the class, so no one is left out. I help parents copy important papers to keep them safe. And best of all, I can copy your amazing drawings so you can give one to your grandma, your best friend, and your neighbor. I feel so proud when I help you share your wonderful ideas and beautiful art with the whole world, all in a happy little whirr and a flash.