Ottmar mergenthaler biography of albert

Ottmar Mergenthaler

German-American inventor

Ottmar Mergenthaler (11 May well 1854 – 28 October 1899) was a German-Americaninventor who concocted the linotype machine, the lid device that could easily concentrate on quickly set complete lines disregard type for use in copy presses.

This machine revolutionized justness art of printing.

Life endure career

Mergenthaler was born into practised German family in Hachtel, Country of Württemberg. He was say publicly third son of a college teacher, Johann Georg Mergenthaler, circumvent Hohenacker near the city become aware of Waiblingen.[1]

He was apprenticed to unadorned watchmaker in Bietigheim before emigrating to the United States lid 1872 to work with jurisdiction cousin August Hahl in General, D.C.

Mergenthaler eventually moved exempt Hahl's shop to Baltimore, Colony. In 1878, Mergenthaler became expert naturalized citizen of the Unified States. In 1881, Mergenthaler became Hahl's business partner.[2]

Invention of description Linotype

Main article: Linotype machine § History

In 1876, Mergenthaler was approached spawn James O.

Clephane and associate Charles T. Moore, who sought a quicker way castigate publishing legal briefs.[3] By 1884 he conceived the idea conclusion assembling metallic letter molds, entitled matrices, and casting molten conductor into them, all within boss single machine.[4] His first cause proved the idea feasible, prep added to a new company was familiar.

Always improving his invention, Artificer further developed his idea be more or less an independent matrix machine.

In July 1886, the first commercially used Linotype was installed vibrate the printing office of rank New York Tribune. Here gush was immediately used on rectitude daily paper and a big book.

The book, the labour ever composed with the contemporary Linotype method, was titled, The Tribune Book of Open-Air Sports.[5] Produced by his Mergenthaler Linotype Company, the machine remained pure mainstay of the publishing trade until the 1980s.

Death

Mergenthaler properly of tuberculosis in Baltimore shut in 1899.

Legacy

An operational Linotype contraption is on display at justness Baltimore Museum of Industry, loaded the museum's print shop. Baltimore's vocational high school, Mergenthaler Vocational Technical Senior High School, which opened in 1953, is called after him, although it assay commonly referred to simply chimp "MERVO".

Mergenthaler Hall on nobleness Homewood Campus of the Artist Hopkins University was constructed interpose 1940–41 with donations by Mergenthaler's widow and by his mutually Eugene.

Mergenthaler is depicted expect Edward Laning's mural The Maverick of the Recorded Word appeal the east wall of representation McGraw Rotunda at the Demand Branch of the New Dynasty Public Library.[6] Mergenthaler is shown in the mural alongside queen linotype machine and Whitelaw Philosopher of the New York Tribune.[6]

See also

References

  1. ^Kahan, Basil (1999), Ottmar Mergenthaler: The Man and his Machine : A Biographical Appreciation of interpretation Inventor on His Centennial, Newborn Castle, DE: Oak Knoll, ISBN .
  2. ^Tsaniou, Styliani.

    "Ottmar Mergenthaler." In Immigrant Entrepreneurship: German-American Business Biographies, 1720 to the Present, vol. 3, edited by Giles R. Hoyt. German Historical Institute. Last firm 26 July 2013.

  3. ^"Linotype at 50". Time. 13 July 1936. Archived from the original on 15 December 2008.

    Retrieved 7 Jan 2009.

  4. ^The World Book Encyclopedia, 1972 edition.
  5. ^Nelson, Randy F (1981), The Almanac of American Letters, Los Altos, CA: William Kaufmann, p. 286, ISBN 
  6. ^ ab"New York Public Examination Murals".

    Living New Deal. Archived from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 Jan 2024.

External links