The Addressograph was designed to speed up the the process of addressing labels and envelopes for business mailing lists. It is halfway between a printing press and a duplicator– instead of using raised metal type or a screen, this machine uses embossed metal plates and an ink ribbon to create a print. The operator would create the metal address card by typing on the Graphotype keyboard. The cards would be filed away in the machine so they could be accessed later for printing. To print, the card would be inked with a ribbon like you would find in a typewriter and then make its impression on paper. Eventually, this technology would be used to produce military dog tags instead of prints. 

This machine was the invention of a disgruntled bookkeeper named Joseph S. Duncan who had grown very tired of addressing mail for the milling company he worked for. In the 1890s, Ducan harnessed his frustration and began designing a machine that would improve this tedious job. He launched the Addressograph Company in 1893 and partnered with a salesman named John B. Hall, who helped him promote the new machine. The Addressograph and Graphotype were communication mainstays until the 1960s, when Xerox and other duplication technology began to dominate.