The "machine room: at Berger-Levrault.  In the foreground we see various iron handpresses, presumably used for proofing.
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The "machine room: at Berger-Levrault.  In the foreground we see various iron handpresses, presumably used for proofing and other short run projects.
The bookbinding department at Berger-Levrault. the machines at the far right may be folding machines that the company introduced in 1859.
Creative Commons LicenseJeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative Commons
The bookbinding department at Berger-Levrault. the machines at the far right may be folding machines that the company introduced in 1859. Otherwise all the binding appears to have been done essentially by hand at this time.
Here we see the growth of the company between 1855 and 1877. 
Creative Commons LicenseJeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative Commons
Here we see factors reflecting the growth of the company between 1855 and 1877.  Because all the typesetting was done manually the number of compositors seems to have grown in parallel with the number of printers. Only the lithography department seems to have maintained almost the same level of staffing over the 22 years.

Notably in the new building the firm upgraded its steam engine to 15 horsepower. They reduced the number of hand presses from 21 to 16, increased the number of steam-driven printing machines from 12 to 18. They also added to their very modest number of machines used in bookbinding.
Chart of the new Berger-Levrault printing facility opened in 1877.
Creative Commons LicenseJeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative Commons
Chart of the new Berger-Levrault printing facility opened in 1877.
In this close-up view of the left half of the building layout we see the steam engine and furnaces in a separate building ouside the production facility.
Creative Commons LicenseJeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative Commons
In this close-up view of the left half of the building layout we see the steam engine and furnaces in a separate building ouside the production facility. It appears that the steam engine was below ground so that the belt-drives from the engine drove the printing machines from connections in the basement. Further a bit to the right we see the lithography department in which the company employed artists and people who drew on stone. The presses in the lithography department were operated by hand. Below the lithography department we see the ruling department that produced things like account books. To the right of the lithography department is the galvanoplasty and engraving department--not a large department. To the right of the engraving department we see the very large composition department.

At the center of the building, in line with the steam engine are the 17 printing machines of various sizes, all driven by the steam engine.

Beneath that is the very large bookbindery with the placement of each of the few machines in that department identified.

Notice that the printing department and the bookbindery appear to have been connected by a "railway" presumably to facilitate transportation of heavy material between the two departments.
In this close-up of the right side of the floor plan we see the hand presses that are visible in the foreground of the image of that department. Above that department we see the type foundry,
Creative Commons LicenseJeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative Commons
In this close-up of the right side of the floor plan we see the hand presses that are visible in the foreground of the image of that department. Above that department we see the type foundry, further details of the typesetting department. The administrative offices of the facility appear on the far right side of the plan.
Detail map of Nancy, Grand Est, France

A: Nancy, Grand Est, France

Industrial Printer Berger-Levrault et Cie Publishes a Luxurious Volume Describing and Illustrating the Development of their Business

1878
Typesetting Berger-Levrault in 1878 was entirely done by hand. In the left isle we see young boys supporting the work of the men.
Creative Commons LicenseJeremy Norman Collection of Images - Creative Commons
Typesetting Berger-Levrault in 1878 was entirely done by hand. In the left isle we see young boys supporting the work of the men.
In 1878 Oscar Berger-Levrault and J. Norberg issued a large quarto volume, L'imprimerie Berger-Levrault et cie. Notice historìque sur le developpement et l'organisation de la maison, describing the history and growth of their printing and publishing business especially to illustrate and advertise their new state of the art production facility in Nancy after their prior facility was destroyed by fire in 1876. According to their finely produced book the firm originated in 1684.

The commemorative work begins with an unusual folding frontispiece showing their new factory, along with the palatial homes nearby of both of the owners. Of the commemorative volumes issued by printers and typefounders toward the end of the 19th century that I have collected, the Berger-Levrault volume stands out for its publication of useful statistics regarding the equipment and production of the business as it evolved over the years from 1855 to 1877. It is also remarkable for three exceptionally fine and detailed images of the production rooms--composition or typesetting, printing, and binding. Finally, the volume contains a remarkable well-labeled plan of the new facility showing how all the elements of book production were organized. Each of these features is illustrated with this database entry.

According to a 1976 book by Jean-Pierre Klein and Bernard Rolling the company remained in the printing business at least as late as 1976.  When I wrote this entry in 2021 it appeared that Berger-Levrault was a software company.

Timeline Themes

Publishing
Printing by Machine
Bookbinding by Machine
Bookbinding by Hand
Typography: Typesetting by Hand