Yesterday’s Technology . . . Today!
William Amer sent in this video of his letterpress print shop, that was selected for the Sydney Film Festival, 2015.
Says William: “My claim to fame is that since 2009, there is finally a printer in the heritage village of Rockley, mid west NSW. And it is a Yorkshire born tradesman that’s done it. My wife’s historical research tells us that I am the only one, ever!
This story is taken from Fleet Street journalist Roy Greenslade’s book “Press Gang: How Newspapers Make Profits From Propaganda.”
It tells the story of Rupert Murdoch’s move to Wapping through the eyes of a journalist who made the move.
Roy Brachet, a Linotype operator on the paper for 25 years, took these pictures on the day of the last hot metal edition of the London Evening Standard.
Rubén Brizuela, who runs a letterpress print shop in Mendoza, Argentina is the proud owner of this Model 1 Linotype, which is in full working condition.
He would like to see the machine taking pride of place in a museum somewhere, but nobody seems interested.
Many thanks to Mike Topper for sending in these pictures he took at the Christophe Plantin Museum in Antwerp.
Many thanks to George Hamilton from Vienna, Austria for sending in this story.
I WAS in Bad Ischl (Austria) a week ago, sought out an antiquarian bookstore for anything on printing and was told by the prop that there was nothing, but on the way out I looked down and under a stack of stuff there was a case of what appeared to be wood type.
From the late Dave Bowles’ collection of London Fleet Street compositors items comes this great collection of trade union membership cards from 1946 right through to the 1990s.
This page was updated in 2023 with additional cards from the collection of Joseph Henry Davis.
Many thanks to George Finn for sending in this video from the Sydney Morning Herald.
Says George: “The video was extracted from a video tape I was given when I retired in 1989. It was used to give visitors an overview of newspaper production prior to taking a tour of the plant. Sorry the quality is not the best.
Terry Foster, a long time contributor to Metal Type, describes the uphill struggle he faces trying to get public backing for preserving letterpress machinery in New Zealand.
While the recent increase in public interest in letterpress printing is welcome, it would seem to be centered around the “craft and artisan” areas, not so much larger, more industrial equipment.
Dave Gladwell, who spent his printing days in large book publishing houses, sheds some light on large impsosition schemes, and more.
Said Dave: “Given to me when Composing apprentice at Billings of Guildford when I moved on to the “Stones” for tuition, now coming on to 60 years ago!