LBP - Issue № 7 - Clink, Clink, Clink
A visit to an Intertype enthusiast’s workshop reveals the magic and artistry of typecasting machines.
Linotype Book Project - Issue № 7
Visiting an Old Friend and Making a New One
Almost exactly one year ago — before I had fully committed to this book project — I thought I should see a Linotype in action again. Because truth be told; since moving to Denver in 2015, I had only seen a Linotype in action once or twice since making our film.
Sure, I had seen plenty of Linotypes on display and in various stages of disrepair in museums, but the magic of a Linotype is seeing one hot and running. So when a local printer told me to get in touch with John Finch because he had several typecasting machines in running order, I felt it was time to get in touch.
Trains and Print Shops
John’s shop lies at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains near the ultra-prominent Pike’s Peak (“Tava” according to the Tabeguache band of Ute Native Americans). Situated between Denver and Colorado Springs, he built his home specifically to be close to the Santa Fe and Rio Grand railroad lines (now operated by Union Pacific).
There is something about trains and printing which feels like a reoccurring theme I am never disappointed to learn about. As I park near John’s print shop building under the windswept, open skies that only Colorado seems to create on a sunny, February morning, I see railway semaphores, railroad crossing signs, and railroad ties on the ground. I can already tell this is the right place for my kind of people.
Intertype - Finished the Job Ottmar Only Started!
Once inside the shop, I see what I’ve come to see: three Intertypes and one Linotype Elektron. Of course, there are several platen presses and an incredibly organized Ludlow collection with more cabinets of mats than I’ve seen before, but let’s be honest — this isn’t a printing newsletter, it’s all about typecasting machines!
Now, I don’t discriminate between the Intertype and the Linotype — I’m a fan of both machines. I know there are printers who swear up and down that Intertype perfected the Linotype, but I refuse to take a side. To me, anyone keeping hot-metal typesetting alive is my friend, no matter which machine they use. Maybe it is like Ford vs. Chevy, Mac vs. PC, or 1% vs. 2% milk: I’m just here for that clink, clink, clink of the brass mats falling down into the magazine.
Could You Run the Machine for Me?
I spent a lovely couple hours talking with John, digging through his book and ephemera collection, and talking shop about typecasting machines and why we both love them.
Then I asked John to sit down and start running his Intertype Model C-3 (circa 1939) while I shot some video and recorded audio. I thought maybe I could use the footage as b-roll for my book announcement video, but I really just wanted to make sure the magic spark was still there. And the moment he clicked on his machine, the motor started running, he unlocked the keyboard, and I heard those matrices falling into the assembly elevator, it all came rushing back.
Yes, for whatever reason, this fascinatingly complex machine still amazes me. I still love standing on the back and watching the mats fall from the distributor bar into their appropriate channel in the magazine. I still love seeing operators (or should they have the loftier title of artists?) sitting down and becoming one with their machines. Watching them adjust their posture, pace, and copy document as their muscle memory takes over and they start setting line after line.
As we tried our best to show in our film, this machine is far more than just a crazy-looking typewriter — it is something that revolutionized the world. Through this book project I’m doing my part to make sure this isn’t a hyperbolic statement without any standing in historical fact.
Clink, Clink, Clink
So, this is quite a long email to say: Here is a video of John and his Intertype Model C-3. I shot it myself, edited it myself, and didn’t spend a ton of time making it perfect. It certainly doesn’t have the video or audio quality of my pals Brandon and Jess, but I just wanted to hear the machine work its magic on me.
Maybe it will work its magic on you too?
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Waving from snowy Denver,
Doug
