Printingprinting History history news 31 News 1 The Newsletter of the National Printing Heritage Trust,

Printing Historical Society and Friends of St Bride Library Number 31
Summer 2011

PHS Journal Editor and ST BRIDE EVENTS OTHER EVENTS Web-Editor Book History Research John Trevitt will retire as Editor of the Printing Historical Society Journal at Network the next AGM. Catherine Armstrong, who has been reviews editor of the The Book History Research Network Journal since 2007, will also retire will hold twice yearly events. There is shortly. John has edited the journal for information about these and a register four years, and Catherine the reviews of interests on their new website at: for five, and the Society is very grateful Print workshops www.bookhistory.org.uk. Please visit for their excellent work during this the website to register and to sign up St Bride Foundation is bringing letter- for the next free event. period. The PHS is delighted to wel- press printing back to Fleet Street. The come Dr Victoria Gardner as the new exhibition room has been transformed reviews editor to replace Catherine. into a printing workshop, where prac- PRINT NETWORKS However, we are still seeking an Editor tical teaching and hands-on experience for the Journal, and would be most can take place. A series of courses and CONFERENCES grateful for any suggestions or, better workshops is now on offer. Through- still, volunteers. If you would like to out 2011 the range of classes will be Religion and the book trade discuss the role with the current Editor, developed and expanded to include do please contact John Trevitt on kindred trades and techniques, in This, the twenty-ninth Print Networks [email protected]. response to the ideas which this new Conference on the history of the Brit- The Society is also seeking a Web- venture will inspire. ish book trade will take place at the Editor to prepare text and images for Bookings are currently being taken National Library of Wales at Aberyst- its website. Enthusiasm for the subject for a ‘letterpress short course’ (three wyth on 19–21 July 2011. Speakers and ideas about the content are more hours a week for six weeks), two-day will include Professor Cathy Shrank, important than a detailed knowledge ‘letterpress intensives’, one-day work- University of Sheffield, and Dr Eryn of web technology (the Web-Editor will shops for linocut and type posters and White, Aberystwyth University. prepare ‘content’, which will be mount- make-your-own-greeting-card classes. En-suite accommodation will be ed on the site by the Secretary). If you Group bookings are available. Open provided on the attractive campus of can help with either role, please contact access bookings for use of the space Aberystwyth University, overlooking the PHS Chairman, John Hinks, on can be made for four-hour and eight- Cardigan Bay. In addition to a full [email protected]. hour sessions, following an induction programme of papers, there will be to ensure best use of the facilities. For a conference dinner and a visit to the further information see the website at Roderic Bowen Library in Lampeter. Salford Museum printworkshop.stbridefoundation.org 2011 marks the four-hundredth anni- or contact the Foundation on 020 versary of the ‘Authorized Version’ of In our last issue (PHN 30, ‘Letter to 7353 3331. the Bible, and so Religion and the the editor’) it was reported that the The Foundation is also teaming up book trade has been chosen as the Salford Museum and Art Gallery at with the London Rare Books School to theme for the conference. A booking Peel Park ‘has not only closed but has offer a practice-based five-day course form and provisional programme are been demolished’. Happily, this is not to take place both in Bloomsbury and now available on Birmingham Uni- the case. The Museum is still very much at St Bride. Students will be taught how versity’s British Book Trade Index in existence and open to the public, to compose type, proof and print, and website at www.bbti.bham.ac.uk. and the early Stanhope press in their will then be given an opportunity to collections is safe. I would like to apolo- work on a small-scale project of their Cheap print and the book trade gise to the Museum, and to readers of own. The course will run from 4–8 July PHN, for this somewhat misleading 2011. It is limited to a maximum of 12 Next-year’s Print Networks Conference statement. I am delighted that Caroline students, so early booking is advised. will be on Cheap print and the book May of the Museum has written a short Further information and a booking trade. It will be held at the University of account of their printing-related hold- form can be found at the Institute of Leicester on 10–12 July 2012 and is ings, which appears on page 3 of this English Studies website at ies.sas.ac.uk/ being organized jointly with the Uni- newsletter. cmps/events/courses/LRBS/. versity of Leicester Chapbooks Project. 2 printing history news 31

Speakers will include Adam Fox of the Commissioned by King James I of University of Edinburgh and Sheila England and VI of Scotland, the trans- Graphic Design O’Connell of the British Museum. For lation was the outcome of the labours Letter to the Editor further information contact John of forty-seven scholars located in Ox- Hinks at [email protected]. The call for ford, Cambridge and Westminster. The The following e-mail was received from papers will be issued in November exhibition showcases the contribution Bruce Kennett of North Conway, New 2011 on the British Book Trade Index of the Oxford translation committees, Hampshire, in answer to my query website (see above). and has been organised by the Bod- about the earliest uses of the term leian in association with the Folger ‘graphic design’. Paul Shaw has also Book encounters, 1500–1750 Shakespeare Library, Washington, DC, drawn my attention to Dwiggins’ use where some items from the exhibition of this term. A conference with this title will be held will be on display in Autumn 2011. Admission is free. For further details, on Friday 1 July 2011 at Corsham You cited Walter George Raffe’s use of including library opening hours, see Court Centre, Bath Spa University, as the term ‘graphic design’ in the title of the website at www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk. the inaugural conference of the Univer- his 1927 book. At present I am com- sity’s newly formed Book, Text and pleting a biography of W. A. Dwiggins Place (1500–1750) Research Centre. and am pleased to offer you something In keeping with the Centre’s focus on ‘Out of the original sacred tongues’: the Bible and translation on this score. On 29 August 1922, the early modern literary culture and the Boston Evening transcript published history of the book broadly defined, an article by Dwiggins in which he used An exhibition in the Great Hall of Lam- this conference explores a wide variety the term ‘graphic design’. The article’s beth Palace, running 25 May–29 July of ‘encounters’ with the book, from title was ‘New kind of printing calls for 2011. This exhibition traces the pro- different cultural and geographical sites new design: old standards of excellence cesses of transformation involved in of production, circulation and reception suddenly superseded because of the com- translating the texts of the Bible from to various disciplines and periods with- plex of new processes in the industry – the sacred into vernacular tongues. On in early modernity. Conference fees are still the opportunity, however, for blend- display will be a wide range of import- £30.00 (£20.00 for students: a confer- ing common-sense with artistic taste’. ant manuscripts and books offering a ence subvention covering fees for stu- In the article, Dwiggins divided printing glimpse into the practical processes dents has been generously provided by into three categories: plain, fine art and involved, as well as the motives behind the Bibliographical Society). For details a third ‘large intermediate class of print- these great achievements. In addition to of the programme please see the website ing more or less modified by artistic the 1611 Bible itself, the exhibition at www.bathspa.ac.uk or contact Dr taste’. He identified plain printing as includes contemporary letters relating Christopher Ivic, Senior Lecturer in town reports, hand-bills, telephone to the translation, and other editions, English at Bath Spa University, on directories and the like; fine art was the including the first edition of Erasmus’s [email protected]. sort of thing produced by Bruce Rogers New Testament in Greek (1516), and for the Grolier Club; the third variety vernacular translations in a variety of was the broad spectrum of materials languages, including some of those that had come into prominence with KING JAMES BIBLE intended for missions (the Gospels in the rise of advertising, including a lot Maori and Mohawk, for example). EXHIBITIONS of direct-mail printing. Opening times: 11:00–16:00 Wednes- After describing the first two cate- 2011 is the quatercentenary of the first day to Saturday. Admission by pre- gories, Dwiggins explored the third form publication of the Authorized Version booking only; tickets cost £6.00 for of printing and its reliance on advert- (‘King James’) Bible, and there is a adults (children under seventeen free). ising art departments for the production plethora of events and exhibitions For further details see the website at of illustrations and decorations to under way to mark this anniversary. www.lambethpalacelibrary.org. accompany text. He wrote: ‘. . . If all the The following are but two. If you talk about the importance of art to the know of others which may interest the industries of a nation is anything but readers of PHN, do please let the buncombe it is of the highest import- Editor know. Fine Press Book Fair ance that the advertising draughtsmen The 2011 Fine Press Book Fair will be be made conscious of their influence Manifold greatness: Oxford and held again at Oxford Brookes Univer- and of their opportunity. Art will not the making of the King James sity, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, on Saturday occur in the industries until our fellow Bible 5 (11:00–18:00) and Sunday 6 Novem- citizens learn to know the real thing ber (10:00–17:00). Some eighty fine when they see it. Advertising artists are Running 22 April–4 September 2011 and private presses, as well as specialist now their only teachers. Advertising in the Exhibition Room at the Bodleian booksellers, trade-suppliers and a range design is the only form of graphic design Library, the summer 2011 exhibition of societies will be exhibiting. As usual, [emphasis mine] that gets home to tells the story of the most frequently here will also be a programme of talks everybody.’ He went on to encourage printed book in the English language, on the Sunday. Stalls will be held by the the artists working in this realm to hold the ‘King James’ Bible. Exploring the Friends of St Bride and the National themselves to higher standards: to strive political, religious and intellectual Printing Heritage Trust. Admission is for simplicity; for clarity of message; context of its time, the exhibition looks by catalogue (price £5.00), valid for for artwork that was produced to at the events and conditions that led to both days. For further details see work in harmony with a given printing and shaped this translation enterprise. www.fpba.com. process; for restraint in decoration and printing history news 31 3 confident use of white space; and for ENORMOUS the selection of good printing types. The article ended with this statement: EPHEMERON ‘. . . The underlying purpose of printing has not changed, neither has the funda- The Bodleian Library’s John Johnson mental problem for the artist. An orderly Collection of Printed Ephemera has and graceful disposition of parts con- recently received what is, very probably, tinues to be desirable and printed pages the largest surviving (and complete) are still intended to be read. On these example of a chromolithographic poster. terms the designer will attempt to do It was acquired from Richard Russell, a for the new printing what he undertook long-standing member of the N P H T to do for the old. His success will still and formerly a Director of the University depend upon a suitable blending of Press, Oxford. In the 1950s, Richard common sense with artistic taste.’ worked at Chromoworks in Willesden, Is this the first appearance in print where the poster was printed around of the term ‘graphic design’? Who can 1955. The subject is a hunting scene know for sure? An examination of The copied from an aquatint of 1843 called printing art might turn up the expres- ‘The merry beaglers’, etched by John sion at an even earlier date. But in any Harris (1811–1865) after Harry Hall event, here it is in 1922. (1814?–1882). It was printed in this large format as an advertisement for the Salford Museum and Art Leeds-based Tetley brewery, and consists One of the eight sheets of ‘The merry of eight sheets, each around 1.5 × 1 beaglers’ (reproduced by kind permis- Gallery metres (60 × 40 inches). These sheets sion of the Bodleian Library) Caroline May would each have been cut into quarters before distribution, to make them easier leave their plates to examine the orig- The Museum has a collection of print- to handle and paste to a hoarding, mean- inal, then go back to complete the ing-related material, much of which can ing the poster was issued as thirty-two design for their colour. ‘The printing be seen displayed in a recreated Victor- individual sheets (the copy now at the was done on huge two-colour George ian print-shop in Lark Hill Place, our Bodleian is in its original, eight-sheet Mann machines, the sheets of paper ‘Victorian street’. Created in 1957 when form). When assembled, the poster has being fed in automatically, so each shops and houses in central Salford an overall size of around 4.1 × 3 metres went through four times. After proof- were being demolished to make way for (13.33 × 10 feet). Larger posters (up to ing, and on completion, a set of the new developments, many of the shop 6 × 3 metres) were printed at this period, eight sheets had to be pasted onto the fronts were saved and restored. With by direct or offset chromolithography, Chromoworks hoarding to check that the addition of authentic objects, they but no surviving examples have been each one joined up with its neighbour. were used to create a typical northern traced. In the 1950s, a national adver- When the advertising agent’s lease of street at the turn of the last century. tising campaign might call for a poster an area of hoarding expired, another The print-shop is shown as the pub- print-run of some 10,000 copies. How- poster was pasted on top, so there was lisher of the local weekly newspaper, ever, due to its size and the nature of little chance of a whole poster surviving, The Salford reporter. In the shop can be the campaign, the Tetley poster was especially one as large as this’. A fuller seen a Columbian press dating from printed in a relatively small edition of account of the poster can be found in 1849 and a Hopkinson Albion press 350 copies. The Bodleian Library record (22:2, of 1839. Along with these are rollers, The printing was by eight-colour October 2009, pp. 229–231), from chases, galleys, composing sticks, printing chromolithography, using a separate which Richard’s comments have been blocks and type, indeed all you would zinc plate, prepared by a combination of quoted with the author’s permission. expect to see in a Victorian printer’s photographic and hand-work, for each office. colour (pale brown, yellow, pink, red, Salford also has in its stores a Stan- two blues, green and black). Although NEW BOOKS hope Press of early construction, which it is possible that some of the sheets was purchased for the Museum in 1966 could have been printed without using A hundred years ago, twenty-three from a small printing office at Waterfoot all eight colours, it is clear that some- delegates from all over Scotland met in in the Rossendale Valley, where it was thing approaching sixty-four separate the North British Hotel, Edinburgh, and saved from being broken up for scrap. plates would have been necessary. Rich- founded what became the Scottish Mas- The Museum acquired a further collec- ard was involved with the printing, and ter Printers’ Society and the Scottish tion of printing material from local recalled that there were four artists in Print Employers’ Federation, now printer, John Roberts and Sons Ltd, the workroom at Chromoworks. ‘The known as Graphic Enterprise Scotland. when they modernised in the 1970s. easiest plates were the yellows’ he says. To celebrate the centenary of this meet- This comprised several catalogues and ‘The blacks were the most difficult be- ing, Graphic Enterprise Scotland and specimen books, a bookbinder’s cutting cause they carried most of the detail, so the Scottish Printing Archival Trust have press and sewing press, blocks, type and the artist drawing the yellows worked published Mechanical to digital print- other equipment. Further information farthest away from the original print ing in Scotland: the employers’ organ- on Salford Museum and Art Gallery and the senior one, on the blacks, was isation by John Gennard, Emeritus can be found at www.salford.gov.uk/ closest’. This meant that artists towards Professor of Human Resources Man- museums or by calling 0161 778 8000. the back of the room sometimes had to agement at Strathclyde University. It 4 printing history news 31

is available from the Scottish Printing Free to a museum, the following items: a Archival Trust, price £20.00 including Varityper, as used in the Newspaper postage and packing in the UK. Paper Strike, in full working order and com- covers, 229 × 152 mm, 512 pages plus plete with a range of type segments; an index. ISBN: 978-09563043-1-5. To Apricot F1 computer, bought in 1985 order, contact the Scottish Printing (for well over £1,000) with ‘Star’ dot- Archival Trust at P. O. Box 27138, matrix printer and all manuals, disks, etc. Edinburgh, eh10 9aq or by e-mail at The items are located in Chester, and are [email protected]. free to any museum which can arrange collection. If interested, please contact Do you want it good, or do you want Derek Nuttall (see above). it Tuesday: the halcyon days of W. S. Cowell Ltd, printers by Ruth Artmon- The following items are offered free sky. Designed by Brian Webb, this study to a museum or other historical body: of one of England’s great printing houses type 16 typewriter with an extra long of the last century has been published carriage made in the U.S.A. by Reming- by the author’s Artmonsky Press. The ton Rand; typewriter made by Smith text concludes with essays by Geoffrey Premier; two typewriters made in Wil- Smith on autolithographic progress helmshaven, West Germany, by Olympia and plastic film, and by Noel Carring- Werke AG. If interested, please contact ton on autolithography using plastic Penny Jones at Enham Alamein Com- plates. Available from the publisher or hardened to prolong the life of the munity Heritage Project, Enham Place, from Barry McKay Rare Books (017683 machine.’ The press is shown above. Enham Alamein, Andover, Hampshire 52282, [email protected]) at sp11 6js Further details and images of the press . Tel: 01264 345800 (ext. £15.00 plus postage. 500 copies. Paper can be found at www.harryrochat.com. 4102). [email protected]. covers, 175 × 215 mm, 106 pages with 91 colour and 17 monochrome illus- trations. SMALL ADS USEFUL CONTACTS

Albion and paper for sale. A crown (15 National Printing Heritage Trust  × 20 inch platen) Albion press made by www.npht.org.uk Rowley Atterbury Harrild and Sons (pictured below). It Hon. Correspondent: Jeremy Winkworth is well-maintained and in excellent con- [email protected] Rowley Streatfeild Atterbury, printer, dition, complete with a tympan, frisket, Treasurer: E. C. James, The Pinfold, Church died at Sevenoaks, Kent, on 28 March Road, Dodleston, Chester, Cheshire ch4 9ng two book-chases and a two-handled 2011, in the ninety-first year of his age. [email protected] roller. Offers in the region of £2,500 A full obituary by Nicolas Barker was to Derek Nuttall on 01244 660501 or published in The independent for Mon- Printing Historical Society [email protected]. The press c/o St Bride Library, Bride Lane, Fleet day 18 April 2011 and can be read on- is in Chester, and the buyer will need Street, London ec4y 8ee line at www.independent.co.uk. to organize transport. Also available: a www.printinghistoricalsociety.org.uk range of papers, hand- and mould-made, [email protected] offered at modest prices. Please contact Chair: John Hinks, [email protected] Dr Nuttall for further details. Treasurer: Andrew Dolinski, 34 Martineau  rg10 0sf Lane, Hurst, Berkshire THE NEW ALBION [email protected] Journal Editor: John Trevitt, Rose Cottage, For the first time in many years (prob- Church Road, Weobley, Hereford hr4 8sd ably since the 1930s), Albion presses [email protected] are being made in England. Harry F. Rochat Ltd of High Barnet, Hertford- St Bride Library, Bride Lane, Fleet Street, ec4y 8ee shire, are offering their new model, a London www.stbride.org medium Albion (platen size 558 × 406 Librarian: Nigel Roche mm, 22 × 16 inches), for £8,400, or [email protected] £6,500 without tympan and frisket. The press is based closely on an Friends of St Bride Library exemplar manufactured by Frederick [email protected] Ullmer and Sons in the mid-nineteenth century. Rochat describes the castings Printing History News as stronger than those made heretofore, Editor: Paul W. Nash, 19 Fosseway Drive, Moreton-in-Marsh, Glos. gl56 0du because of ‘today’s metal refining tech- [email protected] niques ... The staple material has been upgraded ... from standard grade iron Published by the NPHT, PHS and the to a steel and iron mix, creating a vastly Friends of St Bride Library, June 2011. stronger casting. The toggle motion is Printed by Synergie, Birmingham.

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