Week 4 Notes and Response

Notes Week 4 (1-31-12)

A wood type poster is a poster made from wood.

A fat face evolved from Bodoni used for posters and advertising.

Bracket

Tuscan style type is the ornate old western style type.

During the Industrial Revolution, housing and heath conditions of the iron workers were appalling by todays standards. Many families had to share one bed if they had one at all and many had no

Old style, transitional, modern, Egyptian , Sans serif.

Baseline - the line the text sits on.

X-line

Cap height

Ascender

Descender

Font size is the highest point to the lowest

Leading is measured from base line to baseline.

In 1815 Vincent Figgins showed Two Lines Pica, Antique; that was developed into Two Lines Egyptian by William Caslon.

In 1900 Sans Serif was first used in running text in a book.

Luddite: Someone that refuses to use technology. Coined by Ned Ludd. People would go around and smash weaving looms and other technologically advanced products.

The first iron press was invented by Earl Stanhope in 1800. Took 1/10^th the physical effort of the previous wooden press. 250 impressions in an hour.

Fredrerich Koenig invents the first double cylinder steam powered press in 1814. Produces 1,100 impressions per hour.

With this technology, cost of paper dropped from 3 cent to 1 cent. Because they are now mass produced, the 3 penny papers had to start marketing to a broader audience. They have to start selling ads in the paper to stay in business. Ad men came into existence. They were brokers of space. Today the job is called a media buyer. John Hooper is the first Ad man. He networked businessmen with space in various papers.

In 1886, Ottmar Mergenthaller perfected his linotype machine. The Mergenthaller corporation exists long into the 1900s. At this time machine presses are putting out 2,500 impressions per hour. He brought together patents from many different machines. “You’ve done it! A line-o-type.” This puts many people out of business in the type casting industry.

The first nature photograph is taken 1826 by Joseph Niepce.

Degaretypes?

1839, Paris street photograph by DeGare. Very slow exposure. People moved too fast for the film to capture which made the streets look empty.

Henry Fox Talbot takes the photogram(taking a piece of light sensitive paper, placing things on them and then exposing the paper).

First image taken from a negative in 1835 by Talbot.

Talbot and DeGare were in a patent race at this time.

Pencil of Nature, 1844, William Henry Talbot Demonstrates the elements of the Victorian era.

1889. Kodak releases the first camera that anyone can use. Takes 100 instant picture by pressing a button.

1880, Hogan invents the first Half Tone plate that allowed us to print photographs; allows you to print continuous tone.

The Civil War is the first war to be photographed. Most are of the aftermath.

1883 Muybridge photographs multiple images of a running horse to settle a bet. It was to see if a horse’s four feet left the ground at the same time. It was the first step towards motion pictures.

Victorian era graphics are noted for aesthetic confusion. The era is marked for having very strong moral and religious beliefs. They liked to be fussy and to complicate aesthetics.

The next big steps in history are lithography and chromolithography.

Lithography - To print from stone. A freehand drawing with grease-pencil on stone and eroded with acid. Invented in the late 1700s.

In the early 1800s chromolithography is invented.

1840s printer get realistic images.

Bufford and Sons; The Swedish Song Quartet, 1867 - A high quality chromolithographic print.

Louis Prang & Company and others (scrap cards), c.1880 – early 1900s. Marks the first time anyone can buy this type of art. People loved this type of ephemera like we love our gadgets.

Victorian graphics are noted for a spirit of nationalism. It is also the time for advertisements on traveling amusements.

Pub Set – a blank space on the top of amusement advertisements used for show dates at any certain location.

Personal Thoughts

The most interesting part for me was learning about the different presses from the first iron press, to the double cylinder steam powered press, to the linotype machine. I would like to see more on how the double cylinder steam powered press worked. The movie in the beginning part of class was interesting. It was a nice break from taking notes; just getting the feel for the times and the conditions. I would not have liked living in a time where I had to share a bed with 4 or more family members. I don’t even want to think about the waste disposal issues. I know they didn’t have a clue about germs back then, but I hope they boiled their water from the creek before drinking it. I’d think it would just taste better (not good, but better).

It was interesting to see a pantograph put together, but I think the movie you sent me was a better demonstration of how it worked. If you can find a video on how the linotype machine works, I would be very interested in seeing that too.

Another fascinating part of the lecture was the photos of the Victorian Era and the overly complicated and confusing aesthetics. I had seen other pictures that illustrated the ornate nature of the time period, but nothing like the one you showed tonight. There was just way too much going on in that room.

The brief history of the first major developments in photography was very interesting to me being an amateur photographer. Thanks for showing us those first important photos.  

I did not completely understand the Half Tone Plate technique of printing. It seemed like there was a lot said but I still could not picture how someone would make and use it.

Questions

How did they heat the molten lead in the linotype machine and was it safe?

How many people did it take to operate and maintain it?

Were there other factors at the time that time that contributed to the high unemployment?

I would like to learn more about how the chromolithograph worked. How did they control the colors and did they use a different pressing for each color?

How does the light sensitive paper that they used in the beginning compare with what is used today? How is it similar and how is it different?

How were photographs transferred to the half tone plates? Were the dots put on the glass by hand or was there a more scientific process?