Linotype Composing Machine, circa 1923

Summary

Invented by Ottmar Mergenthaler in 1886, the Linotype machine revolutionized the printing industry. Instead of setting individual pieces of type by hand, printers operated the Linotype's keyboard to assemble a mould of an entire line of type. The machine then cast the entire line in type metal and printers assembled individual lines of type into full pages.

Invented by Ottmar Mergenthaler in 1886, the Linotype machine revolutionized the printing industry. Instead of setting individual pieces of type by hand, printers operated the Linotype's keyboard to assemble a mould of an entire line of type. The machine then cast the entire line in type metal and printers assembled individual lines of type into full pages.

Artifact

Composing machine

Date Made

circa 1923

Creators

Mergenthaler Linotype Company 

Place of Creation

United States, New York, New York 

Creator Notes

Made by Mergentahler Linotype Company in New York, New York.

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

78.72.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Cast iron

Dimensions

Height: 84 in

Width: 60 in

Diameter: 59 in

Inscriptions

metal plate on front: LINOTYPE / MODEL 8 NO 33683 / MANUFACTURED BY MERGENTHALER LINOTYPE CO / NEW YORK, U.S.A. / ORIGINATORS AND IMPROVERS OF THE LINOTYPE metal plate at top: TRADE / LINOTYPE / MARK

Connect 3

Discover curious connections between artifacts.

Learn More