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Washington, D.C., circa 1910. "Government Printing Office -- binding." Another look at the workings of the GPO. Harris & Ewing glass negative. View full size.
GPO had the distinction of being the largest printer under a single roof in the world up to the recent past. It is a large building still used today on North Capitol Street. The pillars are numbered for logistic reasons, directions in moving mass amounts of paper in a very large building. Having been in the printing business close to 40 years in the DC area I find the use of chains to bundle stacks of signatures for binding. This was way way before my time.
Right there on the floor, the government version of the chain letter.
I like how all of the columns are numbered. I imagine with all of the stacking going on the columns played an integral part in the organization of finished or ongoing projects/jobs.
That's a Kreolite-style wood block floor. There was one in the mailroom where I used to work. Had that faint creosote odor of railroad ties. The advantages were said to be sound control and resiliency. Plus it wore like iron.
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