PRINTERS OF THE TITANIC

I've just been pointed towards issue 34 of Voyage, the official Journal of the Titanic International Society (Autumn 2000). Contained within is what I've been searching for since Christmas, an article focusing on the printers onboard the titanic. The article written by Bob Richardson (London Branch Secretary of the British Printing Society) gives a great insight into their backgrounds, conditions of work, possible equipment used and likely onboard roles as printers ie. what they may have been printing on the ship in the days before it went down.


The chief printer was Abraham Mansoor Mishellany (born 1860) and his assistant was Ernest Theodore Corbin (born 1885). For their services for White Star Line they were paid £1.50 and £1 per week respectively. 'Both men earned a few extra shillings by printing private dinner menus, visiting cards and luggage labels for wealthy passengers.'

They were likely to have been kept busy on a boat the size of Titanic but because they were such skilled compositors, they 'would have made short work of restaurant menus which he (Ernest) could easily have been set up in 20-30 minutes. Printing each batch on an "Arab" treadle press would take perhaps anothter half hour.'

'... many items, particularly those bearing the vessel's name, were produced on board. There varied from menus and waiters' notepads for the many restaurants through to tickets for the Turkish bath. A large number of different menus were printed on board Titanic. Some were basic black text on white card but these were sometimes presented in an attractive folder decorated with a colour illustration of White Star training ships, one of which was the Mersey. These folders were reused with different inserts for each meal. A surviving second class menu was printed on white card which carried a coloured banner at the top featuring the British and American flags, surmounted by a pair of beaming white stars and framing a painting of the liner. Some others such as the first class luncheon menu on April 14th, were simple white cards with the company flag printed in scarlet and the gold embossed monogram of White Star's parent company beneath it. The full-colour printing was carried out onshore, and Albert and Ernest added only the black text when at sea.'

Other likely printing jobs consisted of 'raffle tickets, programmes of events on board, lists of pieces to be played in musical recitals and general stationery for the purser's office.'

A MUCH NEEDED UPDATE

It's been a busy few months researching the Titanic through books, films and online. I've recently got in contact with Mr. Timothy Trower, an avid Titanic buff and working letterpress historian. This has been a breakthrough as far as any narrative is concerned because Tim is hoping to publish an in depth review of the letterpress facilities on board the Titanic and has a lot of valuable information for me. The fact that my project will be printed letterpress and that the titanic had on board letterpress machinery shouldn't be overlooked. I will use this as my starting point when trying to create a narrative for the book. To sum up briefly what Tim has provided me with to date...


"Almost certainly the press(es) used were platen presses (or clamshell-style presses); these are commonly called a Gordon platen press and the type used on the Titanic was probably the English-manufactured Arab press or the USA-manufactured Chandler & Price press. Generally speaking, what was printed on board were the daily menus, invitations to private parties, and such oddball items as labels for crates of roosters that were being transported (none of the chickens survived the sinking), a press of a large size would not have been needed."

"Due to the look and feel of the menus that I've examined, I am confident that two presses were employed given changes in impression, transfer of ink, etc. between the examples I've looked at."

"That I am aware of, there are no photographs of the printing offices on board any of the Olympic-class liners."

"The Titanic did not have a daily newspaper.  At this moment, I can say with certain authority that even the Olympic did not have a newspaper until up into the summer of 1912."

Here's a working Chandler & Price press I found on Briar Press

Here's a working Chandler & Price press I found on Flickr

TYPEFACE (Kartemquin Films)

In rural Wisconsin, a lone employee waits in a cavernous old museum for visitors to come. A few individuals straggle in every few days and then, come Friday, the museum fills with life. Machines hum, presses print, artists buzz about. One weekend each month, the quiet of Two Rivers is interrupted as carloads of artisans drive in from across the Midwest. The place comes alive as printmaking workshops led by, and filled with, some of the nation's top design talent descend on the sleepy enclave.

In a time when people can carry computers in their pockets and watch TV while walking down the street, Typeface dares to explore the twilight of an analog craft that is freshly inspiring artists in a digital age. The Hamilton Wood Type Museum in Two Rivers, WI personifies cultural preservation, rural re-birth and the lineage of American graphic design. At Hamilton, international artisans meet retired craftsmen and together navigate the convergence of modern design and traditional technique. But the Museum¹s days may be numbered. What is the responsibility of artists and historians to preserve a dying craft?


See the trailers on youtube

TITANIC: THE MISSION (Channel 4 documentary)

Episode 5 (final episode) of the current series will air on Monday night next at 9pm. It's been quite an informative series about the construction of various elements of Titanic. Episode 4 has been my favourite to date, it dealt with the interior design of the 1st class smoking room and a third class cabin.

The episodes are available for a while on 4OD and on youtube.

ARTICLE ON TYPE IN TODAYS IRISH TIMES

Nice article in todays Times by Joe Breen (former Irish Times managing editor – production, presentation and design). He talks about the importance of type design and gives a good plug to the ATypI (Assocation Typographique Internationale)
conference happening in Dublin at the moment (8 to 12 September 2010).


Read the article on the irish Times site here.

NORTON & SONS / E. TAUTZ

Very impressed with the look and feel for Norton & Sons / E. Tautz by Moving Brands. The mix of old and new in their type treatment is especially nice. The idea of developing a style which is influenced by traditional and contemporary aesthetics is one which I hope to develop throughout this project.

MAKING A START

Although this post acts as a test while I put some formatting to this blog, I hope to update here at least once a week for the foreseeable future. I'll be updating with links and images from everything I deem relevant to my Masters which I begin in September, 2010. This may take the shape of anything from Edwardian typography to steam engines. Pictured above is the RMS Titanic, my starting point.