Linotype: The Film
by Emily. Average Reading Time: less than a minute.
In 1886 Ottmar Mergenthaler invented a revolutionary typecasting machine he called the Linotype. At the time it transformed the way information was communicated by mechanizing the type setting process for print, a process which had, up until that point, been painstakingly done by hand. Hailed as the “Eighth Wonder of the World” by Thomas Edison the Linotype transformed printing at the time but was sadly superseded by further technological advances over the coming years. This 19th Century machine is a print geeks dream.
Film director Douglas Wilson is in the process of making a feature length documentary about the people who own and love these machines today – “Linotype: The Film“. If you love print, in any form, you can’t help but be moved by this short trailer which introduces us to a group of people so passionate about this dying “art form” that they are working together to make sure it survives.
Fantastic!, clinky, clanky, whirr, whirr, plonk!, reminds me of ,’ The marvellous, magical,mechanical, mouse organ’. Oliver Postgate what a big pair of old boots you left in the world, never to be filled.
Wow, how wonderful – this is like seeing those groups of people who lovingly restore steam engines and run railways again. Just like those engines, this machine doesn’t really have a place in modern print technology – lithography, work-processing, computers etc have all taken over. Yet, it’s rather wonderful to see it working and to see what it can do. Bravo to those who still want to preserve these parts of our world’s life-history. Maybe we don’t “need” the LinoType any more, but perhaps we do have a need for it, as a window onto a past, where people solved problems in such a graceful and clever way. There is still room for Craft in the world, alongside Technology!
Well said Lizzie. There are thankfully lots of great designer-makers out there embracing technology in a way that only enhances their work.
My first Job at 17 yrs was working in the offices of Linotype and Machinery at Broadheath, Altrincham, Cheshire, UK and I saw many of these machines being made from foundry to completion and saw how they were sold world wide. I even saw the first colour newspaper printer – which I think were brought in from America. My father spent all his life in the printing industry in particular newspapers and he spent most of his time on the floor with the machines seeing how they moved on to computerising. He was somewhat of a collector and he spent a short time in Manchester Museum where they were re-building a Linotype machine as he accumulated many, many bits and pieces which were part of the machines as they had become redundant. He sadly is no longer with us, but I still have one or two bits and pieces and the odd manual – somewhere. Modern technology is wonderful!! and I never thought I would ever see this again.
What a fantastic story. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
My Grandad, John William Brundrett used to work at Linotype and Machinery in Broadheath, Cheshire many, many years ago. He travelled overseas to Spain, Turkey, Sweden and other places, setting up the printing presses that were sold and shipped to Companies there. He would set them up and instruct how to use and maintain the presses before returning home. Many times my Mum said, he would be gone for months at a time. Most of the journeys in those days being by sea, adding to his time away. My Mum also worked there for many years, starting in the matrix department at the age of 14 in 1943. During the war I believe munitions were also produced there to aid the war effort.
The building is now a listed building.