1898 Indentures

Many thanks to Chris Greenhill for sending in details of his grandfather’s long career in the print industry, along with his Indenture document, which was signed in 1898.

Chris says: “I gleaned the following from my grandfather’s last surviving daughter, my aunt.… Read the rest

Rochester, NY Newspapers

Many thanks to Bill Westland for sending in these great photographs. They were taken at the Rochester Times-Union and Rochester Democrat and Chronicle newspapers before computerisation.

Linotype operator wearing shirt and tie

A well-dressed Linotype operator

Bank of Linotypes, with a female operator in the background

Bank of Linotypes, with a female operator in the background

Another well-dressed operator with visor and cigar

Another well-dressed operator with visor and cigar

Close-up of copy and keyboard

Close-up of copy and keyboard

Operator having a smoke

Operator having a smoke

A bank of linecasters

A bank of linecasters

Between editions

Between editions

Between editions

Linecaster with guards

A quiet corner

A quiet corner

Democrat and Chronicle article with a photo of Bill himself!

Democrat and Chronicle article with a photo of Bill himself!Read the rest

Further Reading

Check the “Related Pages” menu for details and pictures of Neotype linecasters.

Information about Russian linecasting machines is pretty scarce on the internet, but the Metal Type Forum has some real gems.

Linotypes in Mongolia

The thread Linotypes in Mongolia has a number of pictures of Russian machines in action, including this one, dated 1959 showing what appears to be a model 144.… Read the rest

Neotype Linecasters

Check the “Related Pages” menu for further reading on Russian linecasters.

The following pictures and descriptions come from an un-dated glossy brochure produced by Neotype, West Germany.

The Compact Series

Function and reliability of a good typesetting machine are dependent on construction and design.… Read the rest

Universa

Linotype Universa

“The latest development in the field of modern setting machine technology” is the heading on the cover of the leaflet promoting the Universa linecaster, one of the very few such machines to be built incorporating a bank of six magazines and which was the impressive leader in the range of “New Line” machines produced during the 1960s by Mergenthaler Linotype GmbH of Frankfurt.… Read the rest

Continenta

Linotype Continenta

The Continenta could be had as a manually-operated machine offering 28/34/42 Cicero line widths (30/36/42em equivalents) or as a tape-operated version able to cast at speeds of 10 to 15 lines per minute. Weight: 1850kg.

It was a two-magazine mixer utilising standard 90-channel magazines and had a mould wheel with four water-cooled moulds.… Read the rest