Yesterday’s Technology . . . Today!
Thanks to Thomas Gravemaker for sending in these photographs that he took on a visit to the Stempel Type Foundry, Darmstadt, Germany.
Thomas said: “The photographs were taken on my visit to the Stempel Foundry in Darmstadt, Germany. They’re housed in the Haus fur Industriekultur, where they have a fantastic working museum, presses, type, A complete range of Linotypes (from the earliest ones to the latest versions) and some Monotype material as well.
Many thanks to Flickr user Robert Clerebaut for allowing these photographs of his father’s print shop in Brussels, Belgium, to be used on Metal Type
Robert said: “My father started as a typesetter in 1928. He opened his print shop in Brussels in 1937. I studied at the School Amsterdamse Grafische (1956-1960) and worked in the family print shop in Brussels. In addition, I gave over 13 years at the National School of Visual Arts of La Cambre (1993-2005). Since 1980 member of the Rencontres Internationales de Lure, and I met Francois Boltana.
Many thanks to Flickr user Gridula for allowing these photographs that he took at the John Jarrold Printing Museum, in Norwich, Norfolk, UK to be used on Metal Type.
Says Gridula: “An absolutely stunning example of a smaller Soldan Lightning Proof Press. I didn’t even know this was in the museum so when I walked round the corner and saw this I nearly fell over.
I recently paid a visit to the Beck Isle Museum of Rural Life, where they have recreated what they thought a small rural printing office would have looked like in the late 19th Century.
I found the imprint on this one quite interesting. It says: “Printed at the office of R Bonk, Paper-hanger, Market Place, Pickering.”
Many thanks to Mike Wilson, a Metal Type regular, and a former Linotype operator from Bridlington, UK for sending in these photographs he took on a recent trip to Canada.
A local artist Carl Sean McMahon made a sculpture from an old Linotype machine for display outside the City Hall in Castlegar, British Columbia, Canada.
The material on this page is taken from a brochure published in circa 1960 by the Mergenthaler Linotype Company. The brochure showcased the company’s latest machines and innovations, including the Linofilm System.
WITH the perfection of the Linofilm System, Mergenthaler Linotype Company contributes another revolutionary development to the graphic arts.
I recently paid a visit to the Bradford Industrial Museum in Yorkshire, here in the UK.
If anyone is planning a trip there, I recommend that you go on a Wednesday when museum volunteers Jimmy Young, Donald Stott and Michael Booth are on hand to demonstrate the equipment and answer any questions you may have.
John Bowles sent in these pictures, and photographs, of his father Dave Bowles – Former Sunday Telegraph compositor and Father of the Chapel.
When Dave Bowles left the Sunday Telegraph on March 23, 1986 he was presented with a framed plate of a Sunday Telegraph front page with the lead story taken out and replaced with a tribute to Dave headlined: “The Godfather Contracts Out.”
Many thanks to John Bowles for taking a trip up to his attic to get these photos for inclusion on Metal Type.
Says John: “It wasn’t the Front Page, the important pages were being done paper paste up by then.
About three years ago Steve Ballard posted in the Metal Type forum asking if anyone remembered his father Stan Ballard, a letterpress comp who unfortunately died in 1988.
John Bowles recently got in touch, and even took a trip up to his attic to find this photograph of Stan.