Contact printing frame question, plus nice surprise.

Picked up this 5x7 printing frame made by E. & H. T. Anthony & Co., Pat. Aug 12, 1880 on eBay. I was curious how the dial with the numbers 1-12 was actually used. Was it to record exposure time in seconds or minutes?

As far as frames go, it's quite nice. Over an inch thick.

When I received the frame there was this older 5x7 glass plate negative already installed. Upon viewing with a loupe I noticed the lady's hat, eyes, necklace, mouth, nose were all reworked by scratching off the emulsion to increase the contrast in those areas.

Another thing I found interesting is that the stamp used to make the letter "E" in E. & H. T. Anthony & CO must have been broken or missing the top bar completely, and the letter "O" in "CO" is a backward "C" for some reason. The games people play.

Ciao yall!

I found it . . .

Print Indicators.

This is a little apparatus like a clock dial, numbered from one to twelve, .and provided with a pointer which grips into slots, is set opposite to the number of prints made ; by setting the pointer to a fresh number on the completion of each print, waste from overprinting is avoided.