On March 29, 1810, Friedreich Koenig and Andreas Bauer made their first patent for the steam-powered platen printing press, the first of many such inventions between 1810 and 1814. Koenig was a German inventor from the region of Thuringia who, having no success in his home country, took his innovative ideas to England and teamed up with Bauer. Previously, all printing was done manually by workers using hand presses, a practice that had gone unchanged since its invention in the 15th century. Koenig and Bauer’s machine incorporated machinery into the process where it “places the form, inks it, adjusts the paper to the form newly inked, stamps the sheet, and gives it to the hands of the attendant, at the same time withdrawing the form for a fresh coat of ink” (“Late” 498). The invention significantly cut down on the time and labor needed to print copies. The press was first used in April of 1811 for 3000 copies of 1810’s New Annual Register, " Principal Occurrences," which is said to be “the first part of a book ever printed with a machine” (“Late” 500). John Walter, a proprietor for The Times, bought two of the machines to produce his newspapers and “claimed they increased the production from 1,000 to 1,800 copies an hour” (Moran 288).  

Koenig’s steam-powered press was praised at the time as the “greatest improvement connected with printing, since the discovery of the art itself” (“Late” 498). The press was four-hundred years in the making and the first true innovation of Johannes Gutenberg's original design, exceeding the power of human labor with its mechanization. Newspapers, posters, books, and more became quicker to produce and, thus, easier to disperse to the masses. According to Koenig, his original plan for the press was to have the “laying of the ink on the types” be “performed by an apparatus connected with the motion of the coffin” to save one of the worker’s hands (“Late” 499). He realized that the press itself could be moved by machinery, instead. The press was seen as a step closer to perfecting the art of printing by speeding up the inking, increasing the rate of copies, and enhancing the quality of the prints.  

Despite its convenience to the printing world, Koenig’s press had its share of critics. The Times, relying on the machines for their newspapers, would receive “dark and anonymous threats of vengeance” from the very hand pressman that the machine was said to benefit (“Late” 499). The pressmen were concerned that the machine was replacing them and robbing them of their livelihoods. From their point of view, the skilled laborers would be out of a job because the new press could do all their work faster and more efficiently. Some of the machines were even smashed to bits in Paris to send a message of resistance against the new technology. The Times published an article claiming that they employed “only eight fewer workmen than formerly” and that “three times that number” had been hired to build the new machines (“Late” 499). It seems that the printer had increased the number of jobs available. Another group, the master printers, claimed that the machines “were not good enough for quality work” and that only a human can create such art (Moran 288). Despite their anxieties, the machines continued to operate, and more advances were soon to come.  

This event follows the historical trend of resistance towards new technology regarding wellbeing. Like TikTok, the steam-powered patent printing press allowed for information to be shared quicker and easier than ever before. People of all walks of life could get their hands on the latest novel, newspaper, or short story in a fraction of the time it would have formerly taken. With the app, informational videos can be shared all around the globe, connecting people and ideas that never would have reached each other. Also, like TikTok, the press had its fair share of critics who recognized the toll the advancement would take on their quality of life. If the machines did their jobs better than they could, then the pressmen would be unemployed, unable to support their families, and at higher risk for mental illness, such as depression or anxiety. Similarly, the Seattle schools claim that TikTok is resulting in higher rates of depression and anxiety among children and teenagers due to excess amounts of time on the app. Koenig’s press is a stark reminder that any technological advancement is going to have its pros and cons, as well as its supporters and critics. It is important to evaluate the piece of technology to determine whether it mostly benefits or hurts mankind. If it hurts, then it is the responsibility of the public to address these concerns and discuss ways to solve the issue.  

Connection: Later versions of Koenig's printing press went on to produce novels geared toward women. When "hysteria" was viewed as a problem plaguing overly emotional women, these books were viewed as too sentimental and trashy for them to read. You can read more about it here https://editions.covecollective.org/content/rise-tiktok.  

Works Cited: 

Koenig. “Late Improvements in Printing.” The Belfast Monthly Magazine, vol. 13, no. 77, 1814, pp. 497–500. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/30075485. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024. 

Moran, James C. “The Development of the Printing Press.” Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, vol. 119, no. 5177, 1971, pp. 281–93. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/41370709. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024. 

Stein, Colleigh. Friedrich Koenig invents the Steam Powered Platen Press. Physical Electrical Digital, New York University, https://kimon.hosting.nyu.edu/physical-electrical-digital/items/show/1341. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.