Director to present screening of ‘Linotype: The Film’
Join Georgia Southern University’s Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art on Monday, September 30, at 6 p.m. for a screening of Linotype: The Film and a question-and-answer session with the film’s director Doug Wilson.
“I like to call the linotype the ‘Twitter of 1886,’” said Wilson. “It was the machine that allowed for practically instantaneous news and information back before electricity. The linotype is the reason we have the speed of communication today.”
Since creating the film, Wilson has toured the country educating community groups, universities and organizations about the linotype. September 30 will mark his first visit to Statesboro, and Georgia Southern University students and community members are invited to attend the screening of Linotype: The Film and Wilson’s presentation about the making of the film in Georgia Southern’s Russell Union Theatre. After the event, light refreshments sponsored by The Printing & Imaging Association of Georgia will be served. At that time, attendees will have the opportunity to meet and speak with Wilson, PIAG President Randy Camp and other industry professionals.
The linotype type-casting machine revolutionized printing and society in the late 1800s. Once hailed as the “eighth wonder of the world” by Thomas Edison, the linotype is an often forgotten piece of history in today’s digitally focused society.
Determined to remind the population of the impact of this instrument, Wilson created Linotype: The Film, a feature-length documentary centered on the people connected to the linotype machine and how it changed the world.
“We are elated to have director Doug Wilson joining us,” said BFSDoArt Interim Chair Hans Mortensen. “The linotype machine is relevant to all students and members of the community as without such an invention we may not have the newspaper, 24-hour news or the Internet as we know today.”
“I am looking forward to sharing the story of the linotype and to surprise people about how entertaining a film about ‘old’ technology can be,” said Wilson.
This event is supported student activities fees and is free and open to the public.