Alexander Waldow Issues the Most Comprehensive Work on Machine Printing

Though Germany was slow to develop its printing machine industry, by the last quarter of the nineteenth century it became very competitive with machine press producers in England and the United States. It also issued some of the best technical literature on the subject. Between 1874 and 1877 German printer and writer about printing Alexander Waldow (1834-1897) issued Die Buchdruckerkunst in ihrem technischen und kaufmännischen Betriebe. This work, which appeared in 2 vols. plus an atlas has been called the most comprehensive German work on printing published in the 19th century. The second volume of text and the atlas (published in 1877 and 1875 respectively) were the most comprehensive 19th century works on printing by machinery issued in any language. That text volume included numerous unusual plates, including various in color. The atlas was mainly a collection of images of machinery, including many unusual printing machines not shown in English language works.

Waldow issued these and many other works from his own highly respected publishing company that specialized in publishing books for book printers. He was also the publisher of the periodical: Archiv für Buchdruckerkunst und verwandte Geschäftszweige