Another Mystery Photo

[Dave Hughes]

Described by the Ebay seller as a picture of a woman at a Linotype machine, which it isn't, this item drew my attention.

I'm not expecting this one to run very long - what machine is she operating?

I initially thought it looked like a Rogers Typograph, but the keyboard seems all wrong.

Any ideas?



I've another photograph of what looks like a similar machine photographed from the rear.

[Mechanic]

Dave, this could very well be a prototype of what became the Linotype. However, it would have to be a publicity shot, as the machine never went into production. The following is a quote from the 1964 Linotype Manual. Published by Linotype and Machinery Ltd. Note the clutch is similar to the clutches used on all Linotypes except for the Elektron.

Then a stage was reached when strip brass matrices, each bearing a number of punched characters, were arranged in lines from which slugs were cast. Finally, smaller brass matrices were employed each bearing one or two characters and these were stored in a container or magazine. In this way the machine gradually assumed the form we know so well today.

[Dave Hughes]

Yes, did notice the clutch! Very Linotype!

Strange to think that the Linotype that I first learned about in th early 1970s was such old news!

[Dave Hughes]

Here's the other photo that I mentioned earlier:

[Dave Hughes]

Thanks Leland - didn't think that one would take long to solve!

It looks a slightly larger model than this one though!

[Dan Williams]

Yes , its a Linotype Junior, an obvious knock-off of the Rogers Typograph.

That old Rogers Typograph had a very serious problem when it was invented; it relied on the same Shuckers patent for the wedge spaceband. Hahaha. Not quite. Typograph had the patent and Mergenthaler obviously just had to have it. When Mergenthaler acquired that patent, it stole Typograph's thunder (to say the least). it had to fork up some dinero.
Mergenthaler bought out Rogers, however, and made very good use of (a now very wealthy) Mr. Rogers (handlebar mustache and all).

My understanding is that  Linotype's version of Typograph was also intended to knock-out the vestiges of mechanical typesetting (Unitype, Simplex,etc) that still remained during those early years of the twentieth century.

How about the similarity between this Junior Linotypes keyboard and the contemporary Linotype keyboard? They are almost identical, having the same front and rear cam yoke assemblies. Compared to the Rogers machine, I bet that Junior Linotype had very easy finger action.

I can imagine folks having this same discussion eighty years from now, over those box monstrosities we used to call "phototypesetters." They are all gone now...