Women compositors

In Short

This book acts as both a technical handbook and an advocacy piece, championing the entry of women into the professional printing trade. It provides a detailed, step-by-step tour of the composing-room, explaining everything from the layout of type cases to the complex mechanics of imposition and proof correction. By documenting the success of the Victoria Press and addressing the practical hurdles facing female apprentices, the author argues that women are not only capable of this work but bring precision, sobriety, and moral improvement to the craft.

The Story

The narrative begins with a clear, professional invitation: the reader is invited on an imaginary tour of a printing office to learn the "Art of Printing." The author adopts the role of a guide, patiently walking the reader through the physical space of the composing-room. We are introduced to the tools of the trade—the wooden frames, the cases holding type, and the composing-stick. The progression is methodical, moving from the simple act of picking up metal letters and placing them into a stick, to the complex process of "justifying" lines so they are perfectly even.

As the technical instruction unfolds, the story shifts from a manual to a manifesto. The author details the specific, often grueling steps of the job: how a compositor empties her stick into a galley, how she pulls a proof, and the highly precise language of copy-editing marks used to indicate errors. This technical rigor serves a greater purpose: to prove that women possess the "highest faculties" and "nimblest fingers" required for the work. The author acknowledges that this training requires perseverance, but insists that the reward is a stable, well-paid livelihood.

The arc of the book reaches its climax in the inclusion of testimonials from Emily Faithfull, who recounts the founding of the Victoria Press in 1859. This section shifts the tone from instructional to historical, detailing the "great and powerful opposition" Faithfull faced. She describes how the female apprentices were subjected to "petty insults," such as having their ink sabotaged or their type cases intentionally scrambled. Yet, the story concludes with victory. Faithfull recounts how the Victoria Press not only survived but thrived, eventually influencing printing houses as far away as Harvard. The book ends by reiterating the necessity of formal, rigorous training, dismissing the notion that printing is a hobby that can be picked up without discipline. It leaves the reader with the firm conviction that the printing house is a viable, professional space for women, provided they meet the same high standards of education and dedication as their male counterparts.

How It Unfolds

The tour begins The author welcomes the reader into the composing-room, identifying the basic equipment like frames and cases. This sets the stage for a practical, step-by-step education in the terminology and physical environment of a printer’s workshop.

The mechanics of composition The narrative moves to the act of setting type, describing the handling of the composing-stick and the brass rule. This beats explains how individual letters are gathered and spaced to create perfectly justified lines.

The process of correction The author details the rigorous, symbolic language of the proofreader’s marks, including how to fix inverted letters or spacing errors. This section emphasizes the precision required to produce clean, professional copy.

The transition to imposition The text explains how pages are arranged in a chase and locked up with quoins and furniture. It clarifies how these formes are prepared for the press, marking the conclusion of the compositor’s specific responsibilities.

The argument for women’s labor The final portion shifts to the history of the Victoria Press, detailing the external resistance and internal success of the movement. It concludes with advice for prospective apprentices on the training and temperament necessary to succeed.

The People

The author acts as a knowledgeable, encouraging mentor who wants to demystify the trade for the reader. They are firm in the belief that printing is an ideal profession for women, provided the applicant is willing to "surmount any difficulties" through hard work and education.

Emily Faithfull appears as a central, courageous figure, representing the real-world success of the movement. She is both a manager and an advocate, having faced "foes without and traitors within" to prove that women could run a printing office successfully. She is portrayed as pragmatic, unimpressed by those who seek jobs without proper training, and deeply committed to the idea that female compositors can raise the moral standard of any office.

The "female compositors" themselves are presented as the beneficiaries of this movement. They are individuals who, through diligence, transform from learners into skilled earners. They are defined by their "nimble fingers" and their sobriety, standing in contrast to the male colleagues who might occasionally be absent for drinking, thus establishing the women as more reliable and efficient workers.

In Its Own Voice

The author highlights the potential for women in the trade, noting the specific physiological and professional advantages of the work:

"It is an employment which gives scope for the exercise of the highest faculties as well as the nimblest fingers; it requires but very little physical strength; it is not in any way injurious to health; it can be performed either sitting or standing; and is, at the same time, one in which there is always a demand for employés."

Emily Faithfull describes the struggle of establishing the Victoria Press against the prevailing gender biases of the time:

"In the end of 1859 our attention was directed to the printing trade as offering a field for the employment of women, and early in the following year the Victoria Press was opened in the face of a great and powerful opposition, and we commenced what was then considered a rash experiment."

What It's Really About

At its core, this book is an argument for professional equality. It challenges the "printers’ monopoly" that excluded women from the trade, not by appealing to charity, but by appealing to merit. The book asks: why should an industry with a constant demand for labor exclude half the population? It posits that the "Art of Printing" is a craft based on intellect, precision, and discipline, rather than brute strength. The subtext is a critique of the limited employment opportunities for 19th-century women, arguing that when women are given access to high-quality training, they perform as well as, if not better than, their male counterparts.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the history of labor, the evolution of the printing industry, or the early struggles for women's professional independence will find this book deeply rewarding. It offers a rare, granular look at the Victorian-era printing process, complete with technical appendices that remain fascinating for their sheer specificity. The tone is warm and encouraging, yet refreshingly direct; the author has no patience for those who expect success without the necessary twelve months of training.

The book is not without its period attitudes, particularly in its rigid views on what constitutes "proper education" and its sweeping claims about the moral nature of workers. However, these biases are precisely what make the book an authentic time capsule. You will walk away with a profound respect for the compositor's craft—a job that required a remarkable combination of artistic eye and mechanical speed. It is a manual that feels like a conversation, and its insistence on professional rigor over sentimental charity remains a sharp, modern-feeling insight into the nature of meaningful work. It is a slim, practical volume that manages to capture both the nuts-and-bolts of the print shop and the pioneering spirit of those who sought to reform it.