Unidentified British artist, Representation of the New Shaving Machine, Whereby a Number of Persons May be Done at the Same Time with Expedition Ease and Safety : Manufactured and Sold by D. Merry and Son, Birmingham. no date. Wood engraving. GA 2005.00992.
The references to the print are as follows:
A. A small barrel of soap suds;
B. Soap brush;
C. The razor;
D. The Master of the shop who directs the position of his customers faces. Here he is desiring the gentleman with the large nose to keep it more to the left, that is may be out of the way;
E. The Pinion wheel being turned round;
H. The machine is put in motion & brought to “E” and in passing along, the brush, followed by the razor, performs on the right cheek. The faces, the brush, & the razor, being then reversed, a contrary motion of the Wheel does the left cheek. And the faces being again turned to the front, the forebeard is done by the instrument at “I”, which finishes the shaving.
I think that this is more likely to be a copper plate engraving than a wood engraving considering the amount of text and the line.
K. Whalen