Linotype: The Book

[Dave Hughes]

As some of you may know, Doug Wilson, who brought us "Linotype: The Film" some 10 years or more ago, is now working on a book.

You can sign up for email updates, and contribute towards the cost of Doug's research here: The Linotype Book Project

Doug is currently researching the book and publishing some of his findings on Instagram.

This post shows some of the stuff he found at the Museum of Printing, Haverhill, Massachusetts.

View this post on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cuj5fGGL2-k/

I liked the third photo which shows one of Ottmar Mergenthaler's early business cards. Unfortunately, a raised space has printed on the fourth line. A problem that would be eradicated with the invention of the Linotype!

Here are some of the topics that Doug is aiming to cover in the book:

• Where is the original Blower Linotype machine? It hasn't been seen publicly in three decades.
• What were the experiences of women & minority populations using the Linotype?
• Can we find the original 1936 NBC radio broadcast celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Linotype?
• Why did the Linotype company fail to transition to photo and computer technology?
• How did a small group of people swindle over $775,000 from the company in 1945?
• What was the APL (All-Purpose Linotype) and why did it fail so spectacularly?
  
• How did the International Typographic Union become so powerful?
• Why did the New York Times wait 20 years longer than almost anyone else to stop using the Linotype?
• Why was Ottmar Mergenthaler so angry and depressed at the end of his life?
• What was the relation between the U.S., U.K., German, and Italian Linotype companies?

For those who can't wait for the book to be published, the question "What was the APL?" has been answered on Metal Type here: All-Purpose Linotype

[Dave Hughes]

Doug's research for his book continues, here's some highlights from his recent trip to the UK:

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https://www.instagram.com/p/C618JR4xBV8/?img_index=1

[OodCompositor]

The Lino picture was it 4M and 4SM, Intertype had a 4M and 4SM, think was CS5

[Dave Hughes]

Here's a video Doug Wilson made to celebrate a year since he started his "Linotype: The Book" project:

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https://www.instagram.com/p/C7UiHh-x88f/

[Dave Hughes]

Doug's research for this book continues. In this Instagram post Doug shows us the highlights from some 1959-1961 editions of "Linotype News."

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https://www.instagram.com/p/C85iw86xZsH/

[Dave Hughes]

In his latest book research update Doug takes a look at this booklet, produced in 1990 which takes a look at the state of the typesetting industry in 1890.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/C-A90NYRM6W/

[Dave Hughes]

Here's a great item Doug Wilson - @realdougwilson - has discovered during research for his forthcoming book.

Don't forget, you can sign up for email updates, and contribute towards the cost of Doug's research here: The Linotype Book Project

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https://www.instagram.com/p/C-domtay8Qq/

[Dave Hughes]

Doug's research has recently taken him to the Monotype offices in Berlin, and you can see some of the items he photographed here: Monotype Berlin

It wasn't all about the Monotypes, though. I loved this picture of a row of German "new line" machines in action!

[Dave Hughes]

Here's some of the people @realdougwilson met during his recent research trip to Germany.

You can support Doug's project, and sign up to email updates here Linotype Book Project.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/C_bjWXyCS8j/

[Dave Hughes]

Doug's research for his book continues. He recently took a trip to Hachtel, in rural southern Germany, to visit the Ottmar Mergenthaler museum commemorating his birthplace.


Image: Otmar Hoefer

Whilst looking round the museum the host, Horst Wagner, produced a large dusty old box from the top of a cabinet and said in German something to the effect of, "Here are some things that might be historical and interesting..." and starts pulling out photographs, paintings, illustrations, and old documents.


Horst, with the dusty old box of documents

The box contained original photographs and illustrations from the museum's unique collection.

Doug, being the consummate professional researcher, quickly took some photographs of the pictures and uploaded them to his Flickr account for everyone to see.

You can see those photographs here: Ottmar Mergenthaler Museum - September 2024

If you don't already receive Doug's Linotype Book Project emails you can see them all, and subscribe to them, here: Linotype Book Project

Just to whet your appetite, here's one of the pictures from the box:


Ottmar Mergenthaler in his Baltimore, MD factory surrounded by his employees.

[Dave Hughes]

Doug's research continues into the New Year. Here's a very rare British Linotype publication he has recently discovered.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/DEbRk-ZRUSh/?img_index=1

[Dave Hughes]

The old Linotype building in Berlin is found to be still standing, and not a victim of World War Two.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/DEp3L5MxsxS/

[Dave Hughes]

A manual for a late-model German Linotype machine (called the Lino-Quick? - or is that the name of the TTS equipment?)

The illustration of the linecasting machine on the second page looks like a New-Line Machine

I'm looking forward to seeing Doug's book when it is completed!

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https://www.instagram.com/p/DE3YBAyxOlb/

[Dave Hughes]

Doug's uncovered this little gem, written by the then reigning "Champion Linotype Operator of the World"

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https://www.instagram.com/p/DFL2eL5RiS7/

[Dave Hughes]

I recently received the latest edition of Doug's Linotype Book Project newsletter. If you're not already receiving it you can sign up here: Linotype Book Project

It's coming to the two-year anniversary and Doug has recently been concentrating on German Linotype history.

I really loved this photograph of a painting:

Says Doug: "The Blower Linotype machine with the Linotype factory in Brooklyn, NY in the background. This painting was on the walls of the MSF building in Berlin. I had been trying to track down this image for over a year and finally found it in the "Das Linotypehaus" book!"