Thomas MacKellar

Born in New York City in 1812, Thomas MacKellar entered the printing trade young, apprenticing with Harper Brothers at about age fourteen. In 1833 he moved to Philadelphia and joined the type-founding firm of Johnson & Smith as a proofreader, later rising to foreman and then partner in the business that became known as MacKellar, Smiths & Jordan.

Alongside his long career in printing, he wrote both practical prose and verse. He is especially known for The American Printer (first published in 1866), a widely noted manual of typography and printing-office practice, and he also published several poetry collections, including Droppings from the Heart, Tam's Fortnight Ramble, Lines for the Gentle and Loving, and Rhymes Atween Times. Some sources also note his hymn writing.

MacKellar died in 1899. He remains an interesting figure because he stood at the meeting point of industry and literature: a working printer and type founder who also wrote poems, hymns, and one of the better-known American books about the craft of printing.