Antique Typesetting Box This antique typesetting box is a fascinating piece of industrial history from the days of printing. Before the digital age, these boxes were used by typographers to organize the many thousands of individual lead types (letters, numbers, and characters) that were used to set text for books and newspapers. History and Use Typesetting boxes were originally part of a larger system in the printing house: Division: The many small compartments were of different sizes based on how often a letter was used; for example, the letter 'e' was given a larger compartment than 'z'. Origin of "Uppercase/Lowercase": The names of uppercase and lowercase letters actually come from these boxes. Uppercase letters (capital letters) were stored in the upper case, while the lowercase letters (minuscule letters), which were used most often, were in the lower case for easier access. Construction: They are often built very solidly of wood to support the heavy metal types, and you will often find brass reinforcements in the crosses. Year: around the 1900s set boxes are popular as collectibles and decorative shelves for small items, as the original function disappeared with the transition to offset and digital printing in the 1970s. Other names: Printer's Tray (the most common name). Typeset Drawer or Type Drawer. Letterpress Case or Job Case. Shadow Box (often used today when reused for decoration).