This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1922 Excerpt: ...century, typographical material in American printing-houses--at any rate before the Revolution--was almost all foreign. Franklin records in his Autobiography that his brother James secured both his press and type from England, and there are repeated allusions to the necessity of procuring such materials abroad for various Colonial printing-offices. When manager of Keimer's press in Philadelphia, Franklin writes: "Our printing-house often wanted sorts, and there was no letter-founder in America; I had seen types cast at James's in London, but without much attention to the manner; however, I now con 1 Thomas's History of Printing, Worcester, 1810, Vol. I, pp. 251 et seq. In the broadside Account of the Fire at Harvard College, dated January 25,1794, among the losses chronicled, this paragraph occurs: "A font of Greek types (which, as we had not yet a printing-office, was reposited in the library) presented by our great benefactor the late worthy Thomas Hollis, Esq; of London; whose picture, as large as the life, and institutions for two Professorships and ten Scholarships perished in the flames." tri ved a mould, made use of the letters we had as puncheons, struck the matrices in lead, and thus supply'd in a pretty tolerable way all deficiencies." The earliest types in such offices as that of Bradford, the first New York printer, were probably Dutch and English; later types were English, and chiefly those of Caslon--although after 1775 (roughly speaking), type was made in North America. Primers and books, newspapers and broadsides, were mostly printed in Caslon old style types in the mid-eighteenth century and up to the Revolution. Indeed, the Declaration of Independence itself was printed in the Caslon letter. It was the face commonly in ...

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1922 Excerpt: ...century, typographical material in American printing-houses--at any rate before the Revolution--was almost all foreign. Franklin records in his Autobiography that his brother James secured both his press and type from England, and there are repeated allusions to the necessity of procuring such materials abroad for various Colonial printing-offices. When manager of Keimer's press in Philadelphia, Franklin writes: "Our printing-house often wanted sorts, and there was no letter-founder in America; I had seen types cast at James's in London, but without much attention to the manner; however, I now con 1 Thomas's History of Printing, Worcester, 1810, Vol. I, pp. 251 et seq. In the broadside Account of the Fire at Harvard College, dated January 25,1794, among the losses chronicled, this paragraph occurs: "A font of Greek types (which, as we had not yet a printing-office, was reposited in the library) presented by our great benefactor the late worthy Thomas Hollis, Esq; of London; whose picture, as large as the life, and institutions for two Professorships and ten Scholarships perished in the flames." tri ved a mould, made use of the letters we had as puncheons, struck the matrices in lead, and thus supply'd in a pretty tolerable way all deficiencies." The earliest types in such offices as that of Bradford, the first New York printer, were probably Dutch and English; later types were English, and chiefly those of Caslon--although after 1775 (roughly speaking), type was made in North America. Primers and books, newspapers and broadsides, were mostly printed in Caslon old style types in the mid-eighteenth century and up to the Revolution. Indeed, the Declaration of Independence itself was printed in the Caslon letter. It was the face commonly in ...

Excerpt from Printing and Writing Materials: Their Evolution In the preparation of this handbook, the purpose has been to furnish in succinct form the leading facts relating to the history of printing, writing materials, and of bookbinding, and the processes by which they are made ready for general use. At present this information is usually found by laborious search through the pages of encyclopedias and other large volumes. While it is hoped that enough of general interest has been included to render the book pleasant reading, the aim has been also to supply a manual that will be useful for purposes of instruction. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from The Triumphs of the Printing Press It is a remarkable thing, as a French writer has pointed out, that the only art which can record all others should, practically, have forgotten to record its own history. The story of the invention and rise of the most potent factor in the spread of knowledge - one might almost say in the development of civilization - is marked by all too many gaps and surmises. Its origin, although so recent, is yet wrapped more or less in impenetrable mystery. The very name of the man to whom the world owes the art of printing cannot be decided with absolute certainty. It is generally agreed that the weight of evidence is in favour of Gutenberg as the inventor, and Mentz as the city in which he laboured to so good a purpose. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.