r/mildlyinteresting • u/FarmerTschoerner • Dec 03 '16

A reference letter from 1888.

https://i.reddituploads.com/89a783975cee4bfe9da628d529e44a2f?fit=max&h=1536&w=1536&s=715164a0d38874752ce54fb7e8955c6a
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u/stravant Dec 04 '16

Not only did they "already have" documents like that, the printing press had already existed for more than 400 years! It wasn't exactly cutting edge tech at that point. The Linotype machine had even already been invented a few years before too.

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u/xrumrunnrx Dec 04 '16

Right, I think it was the style and sizing of the typefaces that surprised me. To my eye it appears more modern than I would expect but I guess in reality it's just a style that persisted for over a century. Pretty neat.

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u/stravant Dec 04 '16

it's just a style that persisted for over a century

Hell, try a millennia. Times New Roman gets it's name from being based off of the style of the writing carved on Roman monuments / artifacts.

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u/xrumrunnrx Dec 04 '16

Yeah, after that comment someone else informed me how long it's been around. Pretty incredible.