Will Chapman, of the Bethel Historical Society, demonstrates their antique printing press Chaia Alford/The Bethel Citizen

BETHEL — Photos are a key part of any newspaper article. There’s a reason for the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”. But back in the early days of newspapers, how were photos added to articles?

The Bethel Historical society keeps a large collection of wooden blocks with thin metal plates. Looking carefully at these metal plates, an image can be seen, such as the image of the Bethel common, shown here.

The Bethel Maine Common, as shown on a halftone wooden printing block

These metal plates were used with a thin layer of ink, and rolled out onto newsprint in old newspapers. They are made using a large number of small dots, which are then able to capture shading and background images, allowing for a sense of depth to the images.

It was not just photographs that were used for a printing press, however. Alongside the collection of metal photographs, there are also some printing blocks that are engraved with words. These use a similar ink rolling method, but with carefully carved letters rather than dotted images.

A collection of printing press blocks. Some have been stored in the Bethel Historical Society, while some have remained in the Bethel Citizen office

The blocks shown here cover a wide variety of topics. One contains a selection of fraternity symbols, while one contains a list of rules and regulations that were mandatory printing for the time. The largest block of text is an ad, engraved in a solid block of metal. The text is written backwards for proper printing, which can make deciphering it difficult. However, using a mirrored image, rubbings of the blocks end up looking something like this.

Rubbings of the printing press blocks, mirrored to make the text more visible

The Bethel Citizen has a long history when it comes to the use of older printing press materials. A newspaper published on March 13, 1985, describes the final retirement of what was known as a “hot type” printer, using blocks made from molten lead, switching to the newer, more advanced “cold type” printing using computer and photographic generated type.

The paper contains photos of engraving work being done on lead slugs, which were being put out of use at the time. Now these lead slugs remain alongside the wooden printing blocks in the Bethel Citizen office, as a reminder of the press’s history.

A 1985 edition of the Bethel Citizen, detailing the final use of the Linotype printer

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