Square Base Linotype Machine

Into the 1890s, newspapers relied upon skilled compositors to set type by hand, one character at a time, just as Gutenberg had done four centuries earlier. Starting in 1882, instrument maker Ottmar Mergenthaler (1854-1899) developed an innovative approach known as Linecasting to mechanize composition. He achieved commercial and practical success with his 1890 Square Base Linotype. Worked by a single operator at a keyboard, this machine cast complete lines of justified metal type, ready for the press. With its five-fold increase in composing speed, Mergenthaler's Linotype allowed continued expansion in the number, circulation, and size of newspapers around the world.

Carson, California · United States