Historical information

This is a set of 10 photographs of Cartographic Squadron technicians undertaking map production tasks in at the Army Survey Regiment, Fortuna, Bendigo circa 1968 to 1975. Production was undertaken on the top floor of Fortuna Villa. The Fotosetter type setting machine shown in photos .1P and .2P. replaced the letterpress method of type production in 1956. CPL Arty Lane specialised in the operation of the Fotosetter type setting machine for many years. For more information on the Fotosetter, see page 71 of Valerie Lovejoy’s book 'Mapmakers of Fortuna – A history of the Army Survey Regiment’ ISBN: 0-646-42120-4. The computer based Editwriter Model 7500 typesetting system shown in photos .3P and .4P. was introduced in 1975 as a replacement to the aging Fotosetter. It was operated by a specialised technician, who generated a large variety of map type styles and sizes quickly and reliably, as well as text panels. Output on Copy proof adhesive backed stripping type film replaced messy wax and spray adhesives in 1978. The Editwriter capability supported all RASvy units and its contractor type setting requirements. The Aristo Co-ordinatorgraph shown in photos .5P to .7P was introduced in 1962. It was a large heavy steel framed light table with a scribing head that moved in a XY direction using a vernier calibrated measuring scale to 0.001 of an inch. Whilst hand operated it was much quicker and accurate than manual grid and graticule calculation, plotting and scribing. The history of co-ordinatorgraphs is covered in more detail with additional historic photographs, in pages 50 to 51 and page 88 of Valerie Lovejoy’s book 'Mapmakers of Fortuna – A history of the Army Survey Regiment’ ISBN: 0-646-42120-4. The scribing process as shown in photos .8P to .9P was the cartographic process of drafting features such as drainage, relief, vegetation, roads and culture on specially coated map reproduction material. The cartographic technician scribed out the map feature such as a contour to a specified line width on the map sheet, using a tool affixed with a sapphire tipped cutter. The quality control edit (Proving) stage of map production shown in photo .10P was the first opportunity to independently and systematically inspect a proof of the map.

Physical description

This is a set of 10 photographs of cartographic Squadron technicians undertaking map production tasks at the Army Survey Regiment, Fortuna, Bendigo, c1968 to c1975. The photographs were on 35mm colour slides and scanned at 96 dpi. They are part of the Army Survey Regiment’s Collection.

.1) to .2) - Photo, colour, c1968, Fotosetter type setting machine, CPL Arty Lane.
.3) to .4) - Photo, colour, c1975, Typesetting machine, ‘Editwriter’ Model 7500.
.5) - Photo, colour, c1960s, PTE Desi Asaris and CPL Kalen Sargent operating Aristo Co-ordinatorgraph equipment.
.6) - Photo, colour, c1970s, L to R: CPL Desi Asaris, CPL John Bennett, operating Aristo Co-ordinatorgraph equipment.
.7) - Photo, colour, c1970s, L to R: CPL John Bennett, CPL Desi Asaris operating Aristo Co-ordinatorgraph equipment.
.8) - Photo, colour, c1970s, L to R: CPL Desi Asaris scribing drainage, CPL John Bennett.
.9) - Photo, colour, c1970s, CPL Desi Asaris scribing drainage.
.10) - Photo, colour, c1970s, L to R: CPL Desi Asaris, CPL John Bennett and their supervisor WO2 Roger Rix inspecting features on an aeronautical chart proof.

Inscriptions & markings

.1P to .10P There are no annotations stored with the 35mm slides.