Why exhibit a Linotype in a museum?

By Robert Griffith

During the credits for the Adventures of Superman a few seconds of film show different parts of the newspaper. We see huge presses, a room of desks and typewriters, and a row of Linotypes. While the term "printing press" is familiar to Americans, Linotypes are relatively unknown. Once it is understood how complicated newspapers were, the importance of the equipment, and in particular the Linotype, becomes clear.

Linotypes disappeared quickly once they were replaced by phototypesetters and computers. In many daily papers, they were hoisted onto flatbed trailers and hauled off. In small papers many of them survived into the 1980s. The Burleson Dispatcher was one of the last six newspapers using "hot type" when it closed in 1985. When smaller newspapers turned to new technologies, the equipment often went to collectors -- people who had the room and the will to store and repair antique machines -- or to the scrap heap. A few Linotypes went to museums like the Museum of Printing History in Houston, Texas. There is no way to know how many are left, but like most old things, it is easy to assume the more time passes, the fewer there will be.

The Burleson Linotype came from a newspaper which was, for many years, the news of Burleson. It is a monument to a newspaper, the families which ran and kept it going, and the time in Burleson where residents boasted of overnight shopping trips to Fort Worth, wished away the illness of a dear friend, and celebrated the new refrigerator at the local grocery store all from the front page of the local paper.

The non-functional Linotype...

...can represent a town's history, the millions who labored in print shops and newspapers all their lives, and signify one of the greatest achievements of the Industrial Revolution. It can, given its inventor's Germanic heritage, demonstrate the contribution of immigrants to the United States.

The functioning Linotype...

...can demonstrate one of the marvels of the Industrial Revolution. The lines of type it produces can be sold as souvenirs or given to eager schoolkids and visitors. The Depot Museum in Henderson, Texas sells personalized lines of type for $2. Wouldn't it be neat to see your name or that of a loved one cast in metal? To the tourist, what better souvenir than a slug of type available in very few museums the world over?

The average Linotype requires about seven square feet, with a foot of buffer space for maintenance around each side. The machine requires a sturdy floor which can support in excess of 3,000 lbs. The electric motor which drives the machine requires either a 110 or 220-volt plug. If the machine has an electric pot, then a licensed electrician should wire the machine. If using a gas pot, the Linotype should be inspected by a professional and hooked up to a reliable supply. If maintained according to Linotype Maintenance Manual (MLC, 1940), the machines are safe and dependable. To ensure the safety of visitors, make sure a docent is present to discourage tampering. Signs and a rope barrier should be all that is needed to keep visitors and the machine safe.