1906 STENOTYPE MACHINE BY WARD STONE IRELAND

A method of recording speech by using machines became commercially feasible around 1906, when the Stenotype machine was invented by Ward Stone Ireland, an American Stenographer and Court Reporter.

At present, the Stenograph and Stenotype machines are used in offices to some extent, but they are principally employed for conference and court reporting. Both machines have keyboards of 22 keys.Because the operator uses all fingers and both thumbs, any number of keys can be struck simultaneously. The machines print Roman letters on a strip of paper that folds automatically into the back of the machine.

The operator controls the keys by touch and is thus able to watch the speaker. Both left and right fingers print consonants, the thumbs control the vowels.

There are not separate keys for each letter of the English alphabet; thus, those letters for which there are no keys are represented by combinations of other letters. Abbreviations are used for some of the most frequent words, giving the operator the ability to write two or three words in one stroke.
(Information from the Encyclopedia Britannica)