Welcome to A Line of Type, a blog all about the Linotype machine. Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, called the Linotype the Eighth Wonder of the World – but what was so spectacular about it?
Explore the A Line of Type blog and find out about the Linotype’s inception, predecessors, operation, and impact on the world.
A Quick Timeline:
- 1854 – Ottmar Mergenthaler, the inventor of the Linotype, is born.
- 1872 – Mergenthaler emigrates from Germany to the United States.
- 1876 – Mergenthaler is introduced to Charles Moore, and begins working on a “writing machine”.
- 1884 – The first composing machine is completed.
- 1886 – The first “Blower” machine sets type for the New York Tribune.
- 1899 – Mergenthaler dies in Baltimore.
- 1954 – There are 100,000 Linotype machines operating worldwide.
- 1976 – Production of hot-metal type systems is ended.
- 2006 – The Megenthaler Linotype Company is acquired by Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc.
- 2013 – Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc. is renamed Monotype GmbH.
Recommended Viewing:
Want to learn more about the Linotype machine? Check out Linotype: The Film, a fascinating documentary directed and produced by Doug Wilson.
A Line of Type 