While we publishers tend to be a pessimistic lot, it’s nice every now and again to think about how much technology has advanced and made our lives easier and better over the last century. With that in mind, a set of three silent films from the archives of Oxford University Press, made in 1925 by the Federation of British Industry, on the making of a book.

David Crotty

David Crotty

David Crotty is a Senior Consultant at Clarke & Esposito, a boutique management consulting firm focused on strategic issues related to professional and academic publishing and information services. Previously, David was the Editorial Director, Journals Policy for Oxford University Press. He oversaw journal policy across OUP’s journals program, drove technological innovation, and served as an information officer. David acquired and managed a suite of research society-owned journals with OUP, and before that was the Executive Editor for Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, where he created and edited new science books and journals, along with serving as a journal Editor-in-Chief. He has served on the Board of Directors for the STM Association, the Society for Scholarly Publishing and CHOR, Inc., as well as The AAP-PSP Executive Council. David received his PhD in Genetics from Columbia University and did developmental neuroscience research at Caltech before moving from the bench to publishing.

Discussion

8 Thoughts on "The Making of a Book, 1925"

That’s a good clip as well. It does a nice job illustrating the pace of change. In 1925, they’re using machinery that’s over 70 years old. What equipment currently in use by publishers is likely to still be in use in 2083?

But what you’ve posted is an interview with the author of a book about FDR’s 1940 presidential campaign???

Gah! You are correct, bad link on my part that was just pulling the latest videos from the OUP YouTube Channel. Have now fixed it to show the actual videos in question. My apologies to all for the confusion!

Comments are closed.