Johann Gutenberg is known as the father of printing. His use of movable type around 1439, combined with a wooden printing press, revolutionized printing and allowed the mass production of printed books. His major work was the Gutenberg Bible, also known as the 42-line Bible..
Chicago was a center for commercial printing, and The Cuneo Press, Inc. was once one of the largest printing companies in Chicago and the world. The Cuneo Press exhibit at A Century of Progress Exposition, held in Chicago in 1933 and 1934, was a workshop that was a replica of what Gutenberg's printing office might have been.
The second card shown above (front and back) is a 1934 souvenir card. The other cards are postcards dated 1933. Below is a short article about the Gutenberg Press exhibit from the World's Fair Weekly for the week ending September 16, 1934.
I had no idea about Chicago's role in the printing industry. Interesting, as my grandfather was born there - Chicago has many sides to it, I have discovered.
ReplyDeleteIt's really interesting to see those old workshops, even if they were only 'exhibits'; it certainly gives a flavour of what it may have been like.
ReplyDeleteAnother side to printing history that I never knew - Gutenberg yes, Chicago no.
ReplyDeleteSuch exhibits help us appreciate how far we've come.
ReplyDeleteVery enlightening post.
ReplyDeleteI find Leonard Mounteney a little weird looking! Perhaps it's the haircut! Interesting post.
ReplyDeleteChicago also made a massive amount of pianos.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Lovely' -- Leonard Mounteney looks a little like Spock! Very interesting...especially the line in the article about how the exhibit shows an "imitation" of what might have been...
ReplyDeleteWhat would Gutenberg say to see the variety of justified, neatly kerned typefaces that get printed from the internet onto my laptop screen?
ReplyDeleteOh how fun! Every chance I get to see these kinds of workshops and other old time museums and such, I go! Great photos.
ReplyDeleteI love the font of the exhibition title in the first postcard and yes, I had to read Leonard's surname twice, thinking he might be Nimoy!
ReplyDeleteYour post led me to search Cuneo Press and I found [http://forgottenchicago.com/] Forgotten Chicago. Thanks for the lesson.
ReplyDeleteLeonard Mounteney does look a bit worn out, as though he's working those long printers hours getting that book out.
ReplyDeleteBeing from Chicago, I knew about the big printing industry there. But I never heard of Cuneo press. Thanks for the info.
ReplyDeleteNancy
I think you got the best spin on this week's theme.
ReplyDeleteGutenberg has indeed left us with a great legacy.
Since I studied Graphic Arts, I was already familiar with his work,
but it is nice to see what was done in Chicago back then.
Thanx 4 sharing!!
:)~
HUGZ