Category Archives: History

Printing and photographic history

Machine carving and old style gilding on a deadline

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Brian Lawler

At Cal Poly we recently dedicated the Raymond J. Prince Shakespeare Press Museum Resource Room. It’s a library of printing-related books and magazines, and it’s a study room for our students with desks, computers, a scanner, and comfy chairs. The … Continue reading →

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Linotype: The Film

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Brian Lawler

We showed the film: Linotype: The Movie last week at Cal Poly. The movie was great! We had about 100 people in attendance, including John Werner, who was once the director of typography for the New York Times. He made … Continue reading →

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Bridging generations (this time it’s the Bay Bridge)

Posted on July 24, 2012 by Brian Lawler

The year 1933 must have been impressive for people living in and around San Francisco. The city is located on the north end of the San Francisco Peninsula, and in that era it was accessible by road only by driving … Continue reading →

Posted in History, People, Photography | 3 Comments

The first streamliner – photos from the family archive

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Brian Lawler

On March 15, 1934, my father, Russell Lawler took three frames (that still exist) of the first streamlined railroad train in U.S. history. I found the negatives of these frames recently while going through some family memorabilia. I also found … Continue reading →

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The origin of the Stencil font

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Brian Lawler

We are bombarded by font designs, and seldom give any thought to their origins. I enjoy thinking about the fact that some of the most popular type designs being used today were created in the 15th and 16th centuries. These … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Typography | 2 Comments

It’s amazing what a fake mustache will do for an old guy!

Posted on June 10, 2012 by Brian Lawler

I attended a party last night called The Great Catsby, a fund-raiser for the local animal shelter. The theme was, obviously, 1920s. I had decided a few weeks earlier to go as a press photographer, armed with my trusty 1939 … Continue reading →

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My father’s Golden Gate Bridge photos – 75 years later

Posted on May 28, 2012 by Brian Lawler

My father, Russell Lawler, was born in San Francisco on November 18, 1905. It’s easy for me to remember this because it was six months to the day before the devastating earthquake and fire that struck the city. This is … Continue reading →

Posted in History, People, Photography | 2 Comments

The ETAOIN SHRDLU Express

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Brian Lawler

I was driving at about 60 mph on Highway 101 south of Salinas, California today, when I saw what appeared to be a Linotype keyboard in my rear-view mirror. Yes, it was a Linotype keyboard! attached to the rest of … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, History, Typography | 2 Comments

A story of amazing proportion

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Brian Lawler

Back in the Awkward Years (1960-1984) we used to make paste-ups, then photograph them on large process cameras to make large sheets of film from which aluminum printing plates were made. Photographs were handled separately from line art, and the … Continue reading →

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Sleeping in the shadow of the Lakeside Press

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Brian Lawler

First of my reports from GraphExpo 2011: I awoke this morning in the Hyatt McCormick hotel in Chicago, adjacent to the McCormick Place, a convention center that is the legacy of the former Editor and Publisher of the Chicago Tribune, … Continue reading →

Posted in History | 6 Comments