Tolbert Lanston (1844–1913) from Washington DC invented the Monotype system of casting and composing metal type. The keyboard and caster were first patented in the USA in 1887 and led to the formation of the Lanston Monotype Corporation Limited in the UK in 1897. London headquarters were set up in 1898 and a factory at Salfords near Redhill in Surrey was established in 1899. Initially, the factory was in charge of manufacturing matrices, and received machines from America, but after 1924 they also started making and assembling their own machines. The end products were manufactured entirely in a British-owned factory for use in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. The company was renamed The Monotype Corporation Limited to distinguish it from the American company in 1931. For almost a hundred years Monotype’s hot-metal, filmsetting and digital technology dominated the British printing industry. The company has had a couple of name changes since 1992. Monotype Imaging Inc. continues to provide digital fonts today.