Landmarks of Human Thought I - Catalog - Page 47
Printing history
of U.S. patents
and the disastrous
昀椀re of 1877
eparately printed U.S. patent lithographs were printed by the United States Patent Of昀椀ce,
along with the issue of the patent (昀椀rst edition), starting from mid-1871 in an edition of
150 copies [1]. This was reduced to 100 copies from mid-1891, including a short period of
4 years, between mid-1899 and mid-1903, with 75 copies only [2].
S
The separately printed U.S. patent lithographs were sent for free public inspection to the capitol
of each state and territory, to the clerk’s of昀椀ce of certain districts of the federal courts, and one
to the Library of Congress.
The Commissioner of the United States Patent Of昀椀ce was also authorized to furnish a complete
set of these weekly published copies to any public library.
One year later, from mid-1872 onwards, all these separately printed U.S. patent lithographs,
which were sent to libraries around the country, were substituted for so-called library editions.
Fifty-two volumes per year 昀椀lled up the shelves of the libraries so fast as to make custody somewhat irksome and expensive, and the United States Patent Of昀椀ce decided to print additional
and condensed versions of each U.S. patent [3].
The Commissioner therefore, condensed the issue of each month into a single volume without
making any deduction in the matter. The speci昀椀cations and drawings were given in full but printed on both sides of a page, with the speci昀椀cations in the front part and the drawings in the back
part of the volumes, with four drawings to a page (see 昀椀gure 1).
Beginning in mid-1872, all libraries around the country were supplied with these condensed
versions of each U.S. patent and these library editions were produced in an edition of 200 to
230 copies [2]. They were veri昀椀ably published in this form until 1905 [4].
Public demand for any kind of patent information was mainly satis昀椀ed through the Of昀椀cial Gazette of the U.S. Patent Of昀椀ce, also instituted in 1872, and printed in an edition of about 5,000
to 7,000 copies. About 4,000 were sold annually to subscribers. The Of昀椀cial Gazette is still published weekly on Tuesdays (nowadays in electronic form) and contains the bibliographic text,
a representative claim, and one drawing of each patent, so that each patent issued that week is
summarized in just a few lines (see 昀椀gure 1).
Thus, almost all of the separately printed U.S. patent lithographs remained in the U.S. Patent
Of昀椀ce until mid-1872 and only a few of them were actually distributed or sold.
In the 1870s there was a steady growth in the business of the U.S. Patent Of昀椀ce. But then it
suffered a heavy blow by the 昀椀re of September 24, 1877. The 昀椀re originated in the model room,
where about 12,000 rejected models were stored, and it made such rapid progress that at one
time it seemed as if the 昀椀remen would be unable to get the 昀氀ames under control. After three
hours of hard 昀椀ghting, however, it became evident that only the upper story of the western and a
portion of the northern wings would be lost [1].
The 昀椀re destroyed of almost half of all separately printed U.S. patent lithographs (photolithographic copies of drawings) stored at the United States Patent Of昀椀ce. The report on the damage
in this respect and made at the time stated the following:
“The loss by 昀椀re and water of photo-lithographic
copies of drawings, it is estimated will amount to
40,000 sets, or 150 copies each, or about 600,000
copies in all.”
The testimony that roughly the whole edition of 150 copies of every set was destroyed is a
strong indicator that almost the whole edition of 150 copies of these separately printed U.S.
patent lithographs was actually stored at the USPTO and lost in the 昀椀re of September 24, 1877.
The lost sets, however, were reprinted by Norris Peters Co. Photo-Lithographer after 1877.
Finally, it should be noted that separately printed U.S. patent lithographs issued before mid1872 and sent to all the libraries around the country, are, understandable, not exceedingly rare
as those issued afterwards and remaining almost in their entirety in the U.S. Patent Of昀椀ce where
they were discarded after expiration or lost in the 昀椀re of 1877.
