Printing at Oxford University Press in the 1920s: CompositorsThe compositors arrange the type for printing. Here, they are compiling a Syriac dictionary, which seems to demand very complex type! (Incidentally, a meeting of compositors is called a chapel.)
These clips are from a silent film made in 1925 by the Federation of British Industry, illustrating industrial life and including the work of Oxford University Press. See more video clips on our Tumblr OUP Archive stream to learn about the History of Oxford University Press. OUP’s Archive Department collects, catalogues, and preserves all material of long-term importance associated with the Press’s commercial and social activities in Britain, from the 17th century to the present day.