Season 1, Episode 2

Ronnie Daniels seated at the Linotype

The progress of printing marches on

The history of printing is a fascinating study, and it's just too bad we don't have time to deeply into the topic. Printing was first developed by the Chinese just after 1000 AD, but moveable type didn't come along until the 1200s. Western culture credits Gutenberg with developing the printing press around 1250 AD in Germany. Gutenberg's press used individual blocks of letters that were placed by hand in a time consuming process. 

The process of printing was accelerated immensely and growth of the daily newspaper made possible by the invention of Ottmar Mergenthaler, a German clockmaker who had immigrated to the United States. Mergenthaler perfected a machine that would assemble matrices, or molds, into a single line, against which molten lead would be poured or injected. The lead would cool and the matrices would automatically return to the correct case to await their next usage. It is a fascinating process to watch!

The Linotype machine was first used in 1886 to print  the New York Tribune, but soon newspapers the world over were printed using the "hot metal typecasting" method. The machines began to be phased out in the 1970s and 1980s when the offset method of printing used lithography rather than cast metal.

Our local newspaper had three linotypes that provided the printing forms for almost everything that appeared on the printed page. They were retired in 1973 when the newspaper began to be printed in El Dorado instead of in the Magnolia back shop.

I was privileged to work in the editorial department of our local newspaper during this transition period. While the move allowed a better look and cleaner type,  most of the print staff lost their employment at that time.

I recently reconnected with Ronnie Daniels, who worked at the Banner-News at roughly the same time I did. As best I can tell, Ronnie is the last surviving member of the "back shop crew" who printed the newspaper in house. He and his wife Barbara live up above Waldo and are both retired now. But Ronnie and I took a walk down memory lane this past week. Ronnie got another look at the big machine he operated for a few years back a half-century ago. This week's podcast features Ronnie's recollection of what it was like to work in the print shop of our local newspaper.

Take a listen to today's podcast, share it with a friend or on your favorite social media, and come back next Monday morning for Episode 3!