Brockhaus Installs its First Schnellpresse; its Production Progress by 1850

In its printing and publishing offices in Leipzig the firm FA Brockhaus installed their first Schnellpresse, built by Konig und Bauer, in 1826, followed by a second and a third Schnellpresse in 1829. 

Friedrich Arnold Brockhaus had started his printing operation on January 26, 1818 with three wooden presses, increased to 10 by 1821. They began to add iron hand presses in 1821, eventually running six of various kinds including four Columbia hand presses. They acquired their first steam engine--a four horsepower model-- to power the Schnellpressen in 1834.

Brockhaus established a stereotype foundry in 1834.

Album der Sächsischen Industrie Band 2, 43-53.

According to Joel Munsell, The Typographical Miscellany (1850) p. 55, "Brockhaus's establishment of Leipzic, is, with the exception of Chambers's the most important and complete of its kind in Europe. Its several departments are devoted to the paper-making, type-making, stereotyping, printing, and binding; it has also apartments for the accommodation of a corps of editors--all included within the walls of the huge building. They have over 100 agents and correspondents in the various German states; Longmans, we believe, have however, nearly double that number.
"Avour 325 clerks and artisans are regularly engaged in this establishment; and the utmost regularity and system prevail throught its multiform operations. Eight steam power and 42 iron hand presses are there used, which print off 110,000 sheets of 24 pages per day; in addition to which, there are usually engaged about 36 artist and engravers on steel and wood, who likewise occupy rooms in the establishment. Brockhaus, like the Harpers, sell only their own publications. They also issue a daily paper--Deutsch Allgemeine Zeitung...."