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It's not the same, but ‘Farewell, Etaoin Shrdlu’ (you can find it easily online) is a documentary about the last day that the New York Times used linotypes and

It's not the same, but ‘Farewell, Etaoin Shrdlu’ (you can find it easily online) is a documentary about the last day that the New York Times used linotypes and hot metal typesetting before they switched to electronic/optical typesetting. I think it's a wonderful, heartfelt, and technologically fascinating documentary. I recommend it when you have a half hour to spare.

generj 6y ago
Thank you for this recommendation, I heartily enjoyed it. There’s something beautiful about the pride the printers had in their work. Even if the output is somewhat ephemeral - a daily newspaper.
- jbay808 6y ago
  Ephemeral perhaps, but for almost every issue, there was likely someone -- somewhere -- that would frame and keep it, because someone in their family got a mention, an interview, or an article published in the New York Times.
bfieidhbrjr 6y ago
here it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MGjFKs9bnU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MGjFKs9bnU great video
- eezurr 6y ago
  Voice over sounds like George Carlin, but the accent is slightly heavier. He did a lot of voice over work though (e.g. thomas the tank engine). It's hard to tell, but that room seem really loud Edit: I'm always more amazed at old mechanical technology than modern technology. Thanks for sharing Last edit: "Sign language is used, among the many deaf printers". HA!
  - jcranmer 6y ago
    > Last edit: "Sign language is used, among the many deaf printers". HA! People with disabilities historically had very few job opportunities. Printing was latched onto in the late 20th century as the major trade career for the deaf--essentially every deaf trade school was teaching it. The noise of the printing machinery making spoken conversation difficult was probably a motivating factor, but it also appears that there was generally little issue with printers not being able to listen ([1] lists that most deaf printers in 1923 used written communication for tasks and their employees generally found deafness no handicap). [1] https://www.jstor.org/stable/44462325?seq=4#metadata_info_tab_contents https://www.jstor.org/stable/44462325?seq=4#metadata_info_ta...
kozak 6y ago
It surprised me that the "new" in this documentary was not much different to my modern eye than the "old". Paper blocks were now moved around instead of lead blocks, but fully computerized layout was still relatively far away.

generj 6y ago

Thank you for this recommendation, I heartily enjoyed it. There’s something beautiful about the pride the printers had in their work. Even if the output is somewhat ephemeral - a daily newspaper.

jbay808 6y ago
Ephemeral perhaps, but for almost every issue, there was likely someone -- somewhere -- that would frame and keep it, because someone in their family got a mention, an interview, or an article published in the New York Times.

bfieidhbrjr 6y ago

here it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MGjFKs9bnU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MGjFKs9bnU great video

eezurr 6y ago
Voice over sounds like George Carlin, but the accent is slightly heavier. He did a lot of voice over work though (e.g. thomas the tank engine). It's hard to tell, but that room seem really loud Edit: I'm always more amazed at old mechanical technology than modern technology. Thanks for sharing Last edit: "Sign language is used, among the many deaf printers". HA!
- jcranmer 6y ago
  > Last edit: "Sign language is used, among the many deaf printers". HA! People with disabilities historically had very few job opportunities. Printing was latched onto in the late 20th century as the major trade career for the deaf--essentially every deaf trade school was teaching it. The noise of the printing machinery making spoken conversation difficult was probably a motivating factor, but it also appears that there was generally little issue with printers not being able to listen ([1] lists that most deaf printers in 1923 used written communication for tasks and their employees generally found deafness no handicap). [1] https://www.jstor.org/stable/44462325?seq=4#metadata_info_tab_contents https://www.jstor.org/stable/44462325?seq=4#metadata_info_ta...

kozak 6y ago

It surprised me that the "new" in this documentary was not much different to my modern eye than the "old". Paper blocks were now moved around instead of lead blocks, but fully computerized layout was still relatively far away.