Eldon Meeks runs a Linotype machine

Eldon Meeks, 82, runs a Model 8 Linotype machine, vintage World War II, for the Wapsipinicon Almanac at Route Three Press in rural Anamosa, Iowa, in October 2007. Eldon was born deaf, and is also mute. Video shot by The Gazette's Dave Rasdal.

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• Eldon
• Meeks
• Model
• 8
• Linotype
• vintage
• World
• War
• II
• Wapsipinicon
• Almanac
• Route
• Three
• Press
• Anamosa
• deaf
• mute

[ambulancegirl93]

This is a video of my deaf father at the linotype machine. Many years ago he used to work for the local Anamosa, Iowa newspaper. His former boss used to say Eldon would always know in advance when one of the machines was going to break down. With being deaf, he could feel the change in the vibration that the machines were producing. It's so nice to see that people are still interested in this form of technology.

[NettieM5]

Thanks for posting this. My dad was a linotype operator in Melbourne Australia. I grew up visiting him at his work (he had his own small business), always loved those wonderful machines, used to play with the old font bits and spent lots of time with him proof reading. I never realized the keyboard was not a qwerty keyboard until years later when he was trying to chat with me and couldn't type at all!

[UErzsi]

Zene füleimnek. 1972-90-ig Zrínyi nyomdában dolgoztam, a linóban, a 20-as gépen. Ezen a kisfilmen nagyon furcsa a rézmatricák és ékek potyogását hallani, több mint 20 év után, egész különös érzés... Böbe

[egoligolf]

I did my apprenticeship at SAAN - South African Associated Newspapers - back in the early 70's as a Compositor. When I attained the proper 'knowledge' I operated both Linotype and the somewhat quicker Intertype typesetting machines. I loved 'hanging' lines - when you were actually typing & delivering lines beyond the capability & technology of the time...

[dontheshark]

I was also an linotype operator for over 30 years. It was a great trade. Back in the 70's I went to the Smithsonian, and went through their printing exhibit. They had a linotype machine on display, and my kids joked at how I would someday be replaced by a computer. Little did I know. I am almost 75 now. If I had the opportunity, I would jump at the chance to work on a lino again.

[delcee715]

I set linotype for a book, "First American Into Space," Allan Shephard, 1962 or so.

Don Crews, Lincoln, NE retired after ove 25 yrs. as a financial adviser.

[listohan]

@ elrodfk As to the merits of employing people for the sake of it, Australia's former Prime Minister, Paul Keating says now we must be creative with our minds instead of our hands. There is merit in that thought. I think of the stonemasons who used to carve the gargoyles on university towers; now their descendants attend these universities as students. I think that is progress.

[Zylstra555]

Thank you for sharing. I find printing in all forms very fascinating and hope to see one of these machines operating in person before they completely disappear.

[Gunnermatecg48]

Do you still have access to this linotype machine and is so could i get you to produce something from it. please let me know

[elrodfk]

I'm a Compositor and we used to have seven editions a day and we produced 4,500,000 newspapers in one edition of the Daily Express in London, at the Express we used to produce 45 million newspapers a week with this primitive technology, the process is much faster than computers to produce newspapers the only down side is it employs people, and we cant have that can we.LOL

[santibaena]

awesome, thanks.