MERGENTHALER, OTTMAR


Meaning of MERGENTHALER, OTTMAR in English

born May 11, 1854, Hachtel, Württemberg

died Oct. 28, 1899, Baltimore, Md., U.S.

German-U.S. inventor.

He immigrated to the U.S. in 1872. While working in a Baltimore machine shop he began experimenting with type molds, and in 1884 he patented the Linotype typesetting machine. The reduced costs achieved by thus speeding up the typesetting process led to a dramatic expansion of all kinds of publishing.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.