Skip to main content

Search

My Visit
Donate
Home Smithsonian Institution

Site Navigation

  • Visit
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Entry and Guidelines
    • Maps and Brochures
    • Dine and Shop
    • Accessibility
    • Visiting with Kids
    • Group Visits
      • Group Sales
  • What's On
    • Exhibitions
      • Current
      • Upcoming
      • Past
    • Online Events
    • All Events
    • IMAX & Planetarium
  • Explore
    • - Art & Design
    • - History & Culture
    • - Science & Nature
    • - Innovation & Tech
    • Collections
      • Open Access
      • Snapshot
    • Research Resources
      • Libraries
      • Archives
        • Smithsonian Institution Archives
        • Air and Space Museum
        • Anacostia Community Museum
        • American Art Museum
        • Archives of American Art
        • Archives of American Gardens
        • American History Museum
        • American Indian Museum
        • Asian Art Museum Archives
        • Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, African Art
        • Hirshhorn Archive
        • National Anthropological Archives
        • National Portrait Gallery
        • Ralph Rinzler Archives, Folklife
        • Libraries' Special Collections
    • Podcasts
    • Stories
  • Learn
    • For Caregivers
    • For Educators
      • Art & Design Resources
      • Science & Nature Resources
      • Social Studies & Civics Resources
      • STEAM Learning Resources
      • Professional Development
      • Events for Educators
      • Field Trips
    • For Students
    • For Academics
    • For Lifelong Learners
  • Support Us
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Membership
    • Make a Gift
    • Volunteer
      • Smithsonian Call Center
      • Ambassador Program
      • Museum Information Desk
      • Docent Programs
      • Behind-the-Scenes
      • Digital Volunteers
      • Participatory Science
  • About
    • Our Organization
      • Board of Regents
        • Members
        • Committees
        • Reading Room
        • Bylaws, Policies and Procedures
        • Schedules and Agendas
        • Meeting Minutes
        • Actions
        • Webcasts
        • Contact
      • Museums and Zoo
      • Research Centers
      • Cultural Centers
      • Education Centers
      • General Counsel
        • Legal History
        • Internships
        • Records Requests
          • Reading Room
        • Tort Claim
        • Subpoenas & Testimonies
        • Events
      • Office of Human Resources
        • Employee Benefits
        • How to Apply
        • Job Opportunities
        • Job Seekers with Disabilities
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • SI Civil Program
        • Contact Us
      • Office of Equal Opportunity
        • EEO Complaint Process
        • Individuals with Disabilities
        • Small Business Program
          • Doing Business with Us
          • Contracting Opportunities
          • Additional Resources
        • Special Emphasis Programs
      • Sponsored Projects
        • Policies
          • Combating Trafficking in Persons
          • Animal Care and Use
          • Human Research
        • Reports
        • Internships
    • Our Leadership
    • Reports and Plans
      • Annual Reports
      • Metrics Dashboard
        • Dashboard Home
        • Virtual Smithsonian
        • Public Engagement
        • National Collections
        • Research
        • People & Operations
      • Strategic Plan
    • Newsdesk
      • News Releases
      • Media Contacts
      • Photos and Video
      • Media Kits
      • Fact Sheets
      • Visitor Stats
      • Secretary and Admin Bios
      • Filming Requests

Mergenthaler Linotype Company Records

National Museum of American History

Object Details

Creator
Mergenthaler Linotype Co.
Type designer
Govil, Hari Govind, 1899-1956
Inventor
Mergenthaler, Ottmar, 1854-1899
Topic
Linotype
Printing -- History
Printing industry
Printing -- Instruments
Printing machinery and supplies
Typesetting
Typesetting machines
Type designers
Provenance
Donated by Mergenthaler Linotype Company in 1998 and 1999.
Creator
Mergenthaler Linotype Co.
See more items in
Mergenthaler Linotype Company Records
Summary
These records document primarily the history of typeface development at the Mergenthaler Linotype Company of Baltimore, Maryland. The company supplied most of the typesetting machines used in the printing industry, both in America and worldwide. As changing technology ended the usefulness of the linotype machine the company pioneered new computer-driven, photo typesetting machines.
Accruals
Approximately .75 cubic foot of material relating to the Mergenthaler Linotype Company was donated by Lawrence Feller, May 24, 2013.
Biographical
Ottmar Mergenthaler (born May 11, 1854 in Hachtel (today: Bad Mergentheim), Kingdom of Württemberg; died October 28, 1899 in Baltimore, MD) was part of a large wave of German immigrants who sailed to the United States and settled in Baltimore between 1861 and 1910. He arrived in 1872, at eighteen years of age, and started working for his step-cousin August Hahl, who ran a workshop for electrical equipment and patent models. It was during Mergenthaler's time in Hahl's workshop that he first discovered his true passion: print technology. In 1885, thirteen years after landing in the United States, Mergenthaler was awarded a patent for a typesetting machine that eventually became known as the Linotype. The invention was the result of a decade of intense engagement with mechanized typesetting machines and the surrounding literature. The Linotype represented a major milestone in the history of printing, and, by extension, the larger history of Mergenthaler's time. His invention revolutionized the printing industry, making it possible to print faster and more efficiently than ever before. Ultimately, Mergenthaler's Linotype opened a new chapter in the history of mass communication and determined the path of the printing industry for the next century. Mergenthaler Linotype Company was founded in the United States in 1886 to market the Linotype machine invented by Ottmar Mergenthaler. Source 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 modified July 26, 2013. http://www.immigrantentrepreneurship.org/entry.php?rec=42
Extent
108 Cubic feet (257 boxes, 1 map-folder)
Date
1886-1997
Archival Repository
Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Identifier
NMAH.AC.0666
Type
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Brochures
Business records
Correspondence
Minutes
Type specimens
Citation
Mergenthaler Linotype Company Records, 1886-1997, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into 13 series. The series level arrangement scheme was imposed during processing to facilitate a more usable order for the records. Several series documenting typeface were combined into a single series, Series 2: Typefaces. In most instances, original folder titles were retained. In circumstances where there was no folder title, the processing archivist created one derived from the nature of the materials. Series 1: Organizational Records, 1929-1997 Series 2: Office Files, 1908-1992 Series 3: Typefaces, 1904-1991 Subseries 3.1: Typefaces, 1923-1993 Subseries 3.2: Designers of Typeface, 1929-1987 Subseries 3.3: Technical Development of Typeface, 1933-1985 Subseries 3.4: Matrix Data for Typeface, 1923-1974 Subseries 3.5: Typographic Committee Meetings (Standards), 1984-1988 Series 4: Licensing Agreements, 1939-1988 Series 5: International Files, 1956-1989 Series 6: Correspondence and Inter-Office Memoranda, 1968-1994 Subseries 6.1: Domestic, 1968-1994 Subseries 6.2: Marketing, 1984-1993 Series 7: Variable Input Phototypesetter (VIP), 1970-1977 Series 8: Conferences, 1986-1993 Series 9: Executives' Records Suberies 9.1: Brian Boyajian Files, 1989 Subseries 9.2: Bruce Brenner Files, 1981-1991 Subseries 9.3: Jackson Burke Files, 1956-1961 Subseries 9.4: Stephen "Steve" Byers Files, 1973-1995 Subseries 9.5: Ames Gutierrez Files, 1990-01-1991 Subseries 9.6: Karl Heidenreich Files, 1983 Subseries 9.7: Jürgen Krufcyzk Files, 1989-1990 Subseries 9.8: Franklin J. Lassman Files, 1984-1985 Subseries 9.9: Mike Parker Files, 1969-1981 Subseries 9.10: Ray Pell Files, 1982 Subseries 9.11: Günter Zorn Files, 1990-01-1990-12 Series 10: Sales Materials, 1886-1982 Series 11: Project Files, 1977-1987 Series 12: Xerox Corporation Materials, 1982-1989 Series 13: Adobe Systems Incorporated Materials, 1983-1993
Processing Information
The collection was processed by Alison Oswald, archivist, 2018.
Rights
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Genre/Form
Brochures -- 20th century
Business records -- 20th century
Correspondence -- 20th century
Minutes -- 20th century
Type specimens
Scope and Contents
The collection documents the development of typefaces and contains some company business records, including reports, memoranda, correspondence, marketing materials, and other business papers; and typeface examples.
Restrictions
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at [email protected] or 202-633-3270. Social Security numbers are present and have been rendered unreadable and redacted. Researchers may use the photocopies in the collection.
Related Materials
Materials at the Smithsonian Institution Archives Center, National Museum of American History Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Series: Printing and Printers Smithsonian Institution Archives Presentation of Mergenthaler Linotype Machine to the National Museum of History and Technology, now known as the National Museum of American History. (SIA Acc. 11-008 [OPA-1521]) Smithsonian Trade Literature Collection Mergenthaler Linotype Company catalogs National Postal Museum Ottmar Mergenthaler, postage stamp, 1996. See 1997.2004.49. Smithsonian American Art Museums Ottmar Mergenthaler, sculpture, 1908. See IAS 08650110. National Portrait Gallery Ottmar Mergenthaler, sculpture, 1908. See NPG.79.77. National Museum of African American History and Culture Linotype Machine used by the Chicago Defender Publishing Company, 1902-1906. See NMAAHC-2012.18. Materials at Other Organizations University of Delaware Library, Special Collections Department Mergenthaler Linotype Collection, 1881-1954 Eight linear feet of materials including letters, legal papers, and patents. The collection represents only a limited portion of the company's history. University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center Chauncey Hawley Griffith papers, 1903-1969, undated Primarily of manuscript correspondence, drawings, and proofs that document typefaces designed and developed by Chauncey Hawley Griffith, William Addison Dwiggins, and Rudolph Ruzicka for the Mergenthaler Linotype Company in the early- to mid-twentieth century. Syracuse University Libraries, Special Collections Research Center William Addison Dwiggins Collection, 1927 Typewritten manuscript for an essay written by Dwiggins and related correspondence. University of Maryland, Special Collections William Addision Dwiggins Collection, 1902-1990 Includes over 130 volumes and over 30 pieces of ephemera documenting Dwiggins's design career, as well as works written about him. New York Public Library, Manuscripts and Archives Division Paul A. Bennett papers, 1925-1966 Personal and professional correspondence, research materials, typescripts of writings, and other papers relating to Bennett's career in advertising and his work with the Typophiles. Includes material relating to the Chap Book series, published by the Typophiles.
Separated Materials
The Division of Culture and the Arts (now Division of Cultural and Community Life) holds objects related to the Mergenthaler Linotype Company that include books, models, linofilm system, matrices, typecasting and typesetting machine, reports, and letters. See accessions: 1981.1011; GA.22989; GA.22952; GA 22984; GA.22948; GA.22951; 22949; GA.22953; ZZ.RSN85692F20; GA.24877; GA.23057; GA.24582; 1979.0372.1; GA.22988; GA.22950; GA.17070; GA.22947; GA.22959; GA.22961; GA.22986; GA.22987; GA.22955.
Related link
Record ID
ebl-1562731489934-1562731490029-0
Metadata Usage
CC0
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep8a9a3855a-263d-430d-a9b7-8d9cabbd84e8

In the Collection

Pages

  • « first
  • ‹ previous
  • …
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • …
  • next ›
  • last »
  • Memphis Medium with Italic, 18 point

  • Spartan Bold with Italic, 14 point

  • Helvetica Greek

  • News Gothic Condensed, 14 point and Alternate Gothic No. 2, 14 point

  • Times 9 MMR

  • Post script fonts (Linotype and Adobe)

  • Times Roman (correspondence)

  • Character Instertion PI (A-B-C)

  • Olympian Medium with Black

  • Narciss, 36 point

  • Gothic No. 12, 7 point with Bell Gothic Bold, 6 point

  • Variable Input Phototypesetter (VIP) font order for Greece

  • European Roman

  • Spartan Duplicate, 8 point

  • Spartan Bold, 18 point

  • Optima Medium with Black, 6 point

  • Helvetica (sample prints)

  • Ionograph printer proof prints

  • National Service Corporation (East Longmeadow, Massachusetts)

  • Ikarus system, computer controlled font production for CRT and lasercomp

  • Marketing strategy

  • Latin Condensed

  • Trade Gothic with Bold, 14 point

  • Logo station

  • Spartan Bold, 36 point

  • Correspondence

  • A Brief History of Typesetting/Developing a Library for Photocomposition Equipment

  • Chronological Files

  • Vertical Slug

  • Pabst Extra Bold, 18 point

  • San-Serif Fraction Pi

  • Gothic No. 32 with Gothic No. 33, 12 point

  • Granjon, 24 point

  • Chronological File

  • Lino Text, 14 point

  • Poster Bodoni with Gothic #41

  • Zapf, Hermann

  • Sales Data Book

  • Caslon Old Face Two Letter, 36 point

  • D. Stempel AG typefaces (licensing)

  • Spartan Medium with Heavy, 6 point

  • Condensed Spartan duplicate, 5 point

  • Weekly Desk Planner/Diary

  • Cheltenham with italic and small caps, 10 point

  • Helvetica with Italic

  • Times Semi Bold with Italic, 10 point

  • Correspondence (foreign miscellaneous)

  • Spartan Black Italic, 36 point

  • Spartan Book with Italic, 18 point

  • License, Black Dot, Inc.

  • License, McKay Press

  • Excelsior with Bold Face No. 2, 9 point

  • Baskerville, A

  • Poster Bodoni Compressed, 24 point

  • Opticon with Italic

  • Baudex Corporation

  • Correspondence (Linotype-Paul Limited)

  • Erbar Medium Condensed, 24 point

  • Chronological File

  • MacWorld Expo (San Francisco)

  • Spartan Black Condensed Italic

  • Metromedium with Metrothin, 14 point

  • Gutenberg Show

  • Spartan Heavy, 48 point

  • Bell Gothic

  • Excelsior No. 2 with italic and small caps, 6 point

  • License, H.G. Roebuck

  • Greek newspapers

  • Pabst Extra Bold Condensed 18 point with Gothic #16, 14 point

  • Arnholm, Arnold

  • Bodoni, 21 point

  • Gothic No. 17 with Gothic No. 19, 6 point

  • Corona with Italic and small caps, 6 point

  • Mergenthaler Linotype Company, annual reports

  • Typographic Development (minutes of font meetings)

  • Pargaon with Italic and small caps, 7 1/2 point

  • Budget (typographic research and development)

  • Hevetica

  • Copperplate Gothic 32 A

  • Metro Series

  • Memphis Bold with Memphis Light, 24 point

  • Helvetica Ultra Compressed

  • Bell Gothic Bold with Gothic #13

  • Estienne with italic and small caps, 12 point

  • Caslon Number 2

  • Memphis Extra Bold Condensed, 18 point with Gothic No. 13

  • Spartan Medium, 60 point

  • Optima Medium with Italic, 7 point

  • Pabst Extra Bold with Italic, 14 point

  • Spartan Bold, 18 point

  • Hebrew #2 with Hebrew Italic #3, 9 point

  • Historical background about the company and Ottmar Mergenthaler

  • Project 10 Font Layouts

  • Corona No. 2 with Erbar bold, 8 point

  • Typographic Conference (London)

  • Teletype Corona, 8 1/2 point

  • Spartan Black Condensed, comparison proof, 14, 18, 24, 30 and 36 point

  • Memphis Bold Condensed, 18 point

  • Cloister Italic, 30 point

  • Hebrew, 28 point

Pages

  • « first
  • ‹ previous
  • …
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • …
  • next ›
  • last »
Correspondence (G. Barborka), relates to Sanskrit
View Slideshow
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer
View Finding aid

Footer logo

Link to homepage

Footer navigation

  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Get Involved
  • Inspector General
  • Records Requests
  • Accessibility
  • EEO & Small Business
  • Shop Online
  • Host Your Event
  • Press Room
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

Social media links

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn

Get the latest news from the Smithsonian

Sign up for Smithsonian e-news

Get the latest news from the Smithsonian

Email powered by BlackBaud (Privacy Policy, Terms of Use)
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Back to Top