the 50 advantages of Monotype

[John Cornelisse]

The Monotype compagnies were advertizing... Their system had at least 50 advantages above all other systems.

The Dutch brand had a folder for it. 50 reasons to decide to start with monotype.

                     

This folder has 6 pages, and in it all reasons were elaborated. Sorry for you all, you might have "some" difficulty reading Dutch.

             

I found item 30 above the most striking number. I will give here a translation of it:

                        30. The Monotype-keyboarder is not affected by harmful lead vapours,
                        like the linecaster-people. For the keyboards and the composition casters
                        are situated in different rooms.  The health of Monotype-keyboarders do
                        not suffer from lead vapours, and this will increase their productivity.

Stiking for me, was that Monotype does not mention the people behind the casters. These men
were altimately responsible for the actual production... These men had most times not only one
machine to maintain, but at least two or even three. All running,  and in those days protection for
their ears ? That was not very common.

I find even only one running machine too much noice, to handle without aer-plugs. The old
caster men, all of them I did meet, suffered some serious loss of hearing.

One thing about the "lead-fumes".... Were there lead-fumes ? I do not think so. because:

            All liquids do vapour, but only in measurable quantities around the boiling-point.

I do think these lead-vapours are just a hoax.

But an exhaust for the vapours produced by the machine ? An exhaust was certainly not always present,
and even than not always so strong, that they could sufficiantly protect the people behind the casters.

There were certainly some fumes, but those came from the mould-oil falling into the lead-pot.

The heated lead did burn this oil, but not completely. There was certainly a black powder dust,
caused by the incomplete burning of the oil.

When this dust is not good sucked away, the people behind the caster-machines will inhale this dust.

And of course this dust might have some carcinogenic properties.

Lead-fumes ? Those were not so much there,

But.... black carbon dust and burning oil vapours... yes !!!! Those oil-fumes were there. But
which labour-union did counter this in those days ?

In Holland the caster-men did drink extra milk each day, whether that added to their health I have my doubts.

The linecaster did not produced this black powder dust like the Monotype machines, here the lead
is molten far away from any oil. No oil dripping into the lead like on monotype-machines. That has
been a big advantage for the people working on those machines.