"The Illlustrated London News" Upgrades its Steam Printing Machines to Meet Demand

In its issue published on December 2, 1843, roughly six months after the weekly newspaper was launched, the Illustrated London News announced that they had acquired two separate double-cylinder steam-driven printing machines--each to print a single side of the sheets on which the paper was printed. The manufacturer of their new machines was Thomas Middleton who had assisted August Applegath in the construction of the Times (of London) four-feeder machine which was still working at the time this report was published. The proprietors also bragged that the machines were driven by a six horsepower steam engine that was capable, if necessary, of powering four of their new printing machines.