One of the high points of the 2004 Ann Arbor Book Festival was Mr. Burkhart's demonstration of his linotype machine. I was absolutely fascinated by this device, which is what was used to generate type during the 1900s; eventually overtaken by more modern machines that generated camera ready type, (such as the Compugraphic, I believe) and, finally the computer typesetting today, his demonstration was a wonderful window into a lost age—and, I understand, the last working linotype in MI.

Ben Burkhart typing at the linotype keyboard to create a hot-lead slug of type.

Quite apart from the fascination the linotype engendered as it created type—type!—on the fly, I find the design of machinery from the late 1800s and early 1900s possesses a mechanical beauty, perhaps from its intricate construction and all-metal components, not found in modern appliances.

Here Mr. Burkhart holds a line of type—we each got one as a souvenir, with our name and the date. This extraordinary gentleman gave me a beautiful purple and green potted plant, and permission to make this post as well.

As much as I enjoyed the many other activities during the festival (they had a panel of SF authors, demos on marbleing and bookbinding, not to mention many beautiful examples of the paper arts) touring the Burkhart Typesetting Co. was the high point of my experiences.

Unless otherwise noted, text, image and objects depicted therein copyright 1996--present sylvus tarn.