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 . . .

Mexico City Newspapers

Mexico City

Luis Garcia sent in these photographs, along with details of his 40-year career in the print industry. He describes the pictures in his own words.

This first old picture was salvaged from a house fire in 2001; in first term appears my father (Vicente Garcia), and my uncle (Gonzalo) behind him. 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 . . .

Quincy Patriot Ledger

Proofing a page
Proofing a page.

Many thanks to Jim Daggs, of Ackley Publishing Company, Ackley, Iowa for sending in these photographs.

Ackley World Journal

Don Fistler
Ackley World Journal Compositor-Pressman, Don Fistler making up ads in 1955.

Many thanks to Jim Daggs, of Ackley Publishing Company, Ackley, Iowa for sending in these photographs — including one of himself.

Czech Print Works

Intertype Model B (German manufacture) in full working order
Intertype Model B (German manufacture) in full working order.

Mirek Subrt, from the Czech Republic, sent in these photos of his print plant. Mirek worked many years as a Compositor, mainly on Intertypes, but is currently working as a bus driver. Ivan Kohout took the photographs.