View of the roof of the Government Printer Building, with the Brisbane River in the background – Brisbane, January 1974

Queensland State Archives posted a photo:

Can you make out the stone devils perched at the top of the Government Printing Building? A historical symbol of the printing industry, there are seven devils on the facade of the building, and one statue hidden away inside.

There are some unsual – and some far-reaching – theories to explain the notorious “printer’s devils”…

The Seven Devils of George Street

…A ‘printer’s devil’ was a nickname given to printer’s apprentices, who performed such tasks as mixing ink and fetching type. These apprentices invariably stained themselves with black ink and – as black was associated with the ‘black arts’ – the nickname ‘devil’ took hold…

…A further association with the devil in printing is the name of the hellbox, which was a box that worn and broken lead type was thrown into, and which the printer’s devil (apprentice) then took to the furnace for melting and recasting.

Yet another link

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