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.

A well-dressed Linotype operator

Bank of Linotypes, with a female operator in the background

Another well-dressed operator with visor and cigar

Close-up of copy and keyboard

Operator having a smoke

A bank of linecasters

Between editions

Linecaster with guards

A quiet corner

Democrat and Chronicle article with a photo of Bill himself!… Read the rest
The date is Sunday, July 2, 1978, the last time that the New York Times was printed using hot metal.
David Loeb Weiss, then a proofreader and Carl Shlesinger a Linotype operator filmed and narrated this film to record the occasion.… Read the rest
Part of Metal Type’s Printing Advice section, here Phil discusses the long-lost art of paper ruling.
PAPER RULING was my Dad’s first trade. He apprenticed to this at the age of 14 and worked a good part of his life doing this.… Read the rest
An anecdote sent in by Bob Turner.
BACK IN MY DAY as a typesetter, among other things, the first rule of typesetting was to “follow copy” – even if somebody threw it out the window.
Failure to do so usually resulted in unemployment.… Read the rest
The sixth in a series of stories sent in by Greg Fischer (aka Linofish).
Says Greg: “All the incidents happened at the Trenton NJ Trentonian, between 1958 and 1965. This was at the old Front Street building. In 1965, we moved to a brand new plant with a new Hoe Colormatic letterpress.… Read the rest
The fifth a series of stories sent in by Greg Fischer (aka Linofish).
Says Greg: “All the incidents happened at the Trenton NJ Trentonian, between 1958 and 1965. This was at the old Front Street building. In 1965, we moved to a brand new plant with a new Hoe Colormatic letterpress.… Read the rest
The fourth a series of stories sent in by Greg Fischer (aka Linofish).
Says Greg: “All the incidents happened at the Trenton NJ Trentonian, between 1958 and 1965. This was at the old Front Street building. In 1965, we moved to a brand new plant with a new Hoe Colormatic letterpress.… Read the rest
The third in a series of stories sent in by Greg Fischer (aka Linofish).
Says Greg: “All the incidents happened at the Trenton NJ Trentonian, between 1958 and 1965. This was at the old Front Street building. In 1965, we moved to a brand new plant with a new Hoe Colormatic letterpress.… Read the rest
The second in a series of stories sent in by Greg Fischer (aka Linofish).
Says Greg: “All the incidents happened at the Trenton NJ Trentonian, between 1958 and 1965. This was at the old Front Street building. In 1965, we moved to a brand new plant with a new Hoe Colormatic letterpress.… Read the rest
The first of a series of stories sent in by Greg Fischer (aka Linofish).
Says Greg: “All the incidents happened at the Trenton NJ Trentonian, between 1958 and 1965. This was at the old Front Street building. In 1965, we moved to a brand new plant with a new Hoe Colormatic letterpress.… Read the rest