Linotype Machine

Description

The Linotype was the first hot-metal composing machine, invented in 1885 by Ottmar Mergenthaler. It is capable of producing a single line of metal type, called a slug, using a keyboard, matrices, and molten metal. Linotype machines were widely used in the newspaper trade thanks to their efficiency.

Object Name(s): hot-metal composing keyboards and casters (combined in a single machine)

Object Category: TYPE COMPOSITION MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT

Materials: metal
Material Part: body

Provenance Summary: Donated by Kevin Kelly, 2024.

Credit Line: National Print Museum, Dublin