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Working Block


Print Shop circa 1900s

Historical Significance

Montgomery first newspaper, the Montgomery Republican, was published in 1821 and today’s Montgomery Advertiser dates back to 1828. This Print Shop reflects techniques from the late 19th and early 20th century when printers learned their trade through years of training on complicated equipment. The Shop exhibits this equipment and other tools necessary for the printing of newspapers, pamphlets, notices, and other items meant to keep the public informed. The equipment includes a Mergenthaler linotype which was the first commercially successful typesetting machine that replaced the labor of hand typesetters. The Babcock newspaper press, a cylinder press had the ability to print books and newspapers in large quantities and was powered by an electric engine. The Kelsey hand press, similar to the first printing press invented by Johann Gutenberg in the 15th century, was used to print hand bills. The C&P press was faster than the hand press because it was powered by an electric motor to print larger handbills. The Pearl letterpress, manufactured about 1882, was operated by a foot pedal and printed one page at a time.

Architectural Significance

All of the printing equipment in the Shop was provided by the Greenville Advocate, the Butler County News, and a local Montgomery print shop. The equipment was installed in a replicated Print Shop setting.