Category: Location

Government Printing Office, Melbourne, Australia

Linotype delivery
16 Linotypes ordered by the Commonwealth Government arrive from England in 1907 for installation at the Victorian Government Printing Office.

Thanks to Don Hauser for allowing me to use this extract from his book “Printers of the Streets and Lanes of Melbourne” which he designed and typeset at his Nondescript Press. Unfortunately for us, but fortunately for Don, the original limited edition print run of 1,000 copies entirely sold out and the book is no longer for sale.

The Government Printing Office was formed by Superintendent LaTrobe in January, 1851. Prior to this various firms undertook the work of Government as self-proclaimed Government printers. Read the Full Article . . .

Sands & McDougall, Melbourne, Australia

Composing Room, Sands & McDougall, Melbourne, Australia, 1897
Composing Room, Sands & McDougall, Melbourne, Australia, 1897.

Thanks to Don Hauser for allowing me to use this extract from his book “Printers of the Streets and Lanes of Melbourne” which he designed and typeset at his Nondescript Press. Unfortunately for us, but fortunately for Don, the original limited edition print run of 1,000 copies entirely sold out and the book is no longer for sale.

The first “Melbourne Directory” was published by Sands & McDougall in 1856 and continued production until 1974. A 1975 issue had been planned but the cancellation of 600-800 copies by the Victoria Police, left the next largest order for 30 copies. Production of the directory was unsustainable. Read the Full Article . . .

Abandoned Intertype C4

Abandoned Intertype C4

I FOUND this C4 Intertype abandoned at an Historical Preservation Society in Pimpama, just 10 km (6 miles) from where I live.

I asked the Publicity Officer what he could tell me about the machine. He said it was before his time, but that they had owned a number of machines but the rest had been given away, along with all the spare parts. Read the Full Article . . .

Model F Elrod

Elrod Model F

Andy Taylor sent in these pictures of his “brand new” Model F Elrod strip-casting machine. He’s hoping to send in some video of the machine in operation in the near future. He also has a Model K.

Linotype Comet 300 TTS

Fairchild TTS perforating keyboard
Fairchild TTS perforating keyboard.

Many thanks to Bill Nairn, from New Zealand, for sending in these photographs — they show a Linotype Comet 300, complete with a Fairchild operating unit attached to the linecaster’s keyboard and the perforating keyboard. The whole set-up is in full operational condition.

Says Bill: “In New Zealand, we had the opportunity to restore a Linotype Comet 300, complete with Fairchild Operating Unit (attached to the Linotype keyboard) and the perforating keyboard. Read the Full Article . . .

Linotype Model 14 Brochure

Intertype brochure
Brochure cover

Robert Griffith sent in some scans of this 1920s advertising brochure for the Model 14 Linotype. It appears to have been produced by the Chicago office of Mergenthaler.

Striking features of the Model 14

This Linotype may be equipped with one, two, or three full-size magazines which are interchangeable with those of all single- and multiple-magazine Linotypes using quick-change Model 5 magazines. Read the Full Article . . .