The Lost World of Typesetting Races: Speed, Spectacle, and Women's Fight for Equity in the Printing Trade

Summary

Before the Linotype machine revolutionized typesetting in the 1880s, compositors set text by hand in high-speed competitions known as typesetting races. These events drew crowds in the thousands, offered substantial cash prizes, and featured colorful rivalries between newspaper compositors. The article explores how these races emerged from the industrial era's fascination with speed and skill, and highlights how women compositors—known as "Swifts"—used these competitions to challenge workplace discrimination and fight for equity in the printing trade.