Printingprinting History history news 30 News 1 The Newsletter of the National Printing Heritage Trust, Printing Historical Society and Friends of St Bride Library Number 30 Spring 2011 Printing Historical des Beaux-Arts de Rennes. It is suppor- is now on offer. Throughout 2011 the ted by the Royal College of Art, École range of classes will be developed and Society AGM des Beaux-Arts de Rennes and the expanded to include kindred trades Design History Society. For further and techniques, in response to the ideas Notice is hereby given that the 2011 details see www.stbride.org. which this new venture will inspire. Annual General Meeting of the Printing Bookings are currently being taken Historical Society will be held on Tues- Editorial footnote: I wonder when the for a ‘letterpress short course’ (three day 12 April 2011 at 5:30 p.m. at the English term ‘graphic design’ was first hours a week for six weeks), two day St Bride Institute, London. Following used. The earliest example I can find is ‘letterpress intensives’, one day work- the formal business, at or soon after the title of Walter George Raffé’s book shops for linocut and type posters and 6:00 p.m., Professor Ian Rogerson of (Graphic design, London: Chapman make-your-own-greeting-card classes. the John Rylands Institute, University and Hall) first published in 1927. But Group bookings are available and of Manchester, will speak on Book there must be an earlier usage. The these are tailored to meet the needs and illustration: the search for affordable editor of PHN would be most interes- interests of each specific group. Open colour. Professor Rogerson is well- ted to receive your opinions (and the access bookings for use of the space known as a writer on the arts of the definitive answer may well be given, of can be made for four-hour and eight- book, especially illustrative media and course, at the abovementioned confer- hour sessions, following an induction processes, and has written on the ence). to ensure best use of the facilities. For graphic work of Dicky Doyle, Barnett further information see the website at Freedman, Agnes Miller Parker, Sir printworkshop.stbridefoundation.org Francis Meynell, and on the Cloister, or contact the Foundation on 020 Pelican, Fleece, Gregynog and None- 7353 3331. such Presses, among many other mono- graphs and exhibition catalogues. PRINT NETWORKS ST BRIDE NEWS CONFERENCES AND EVENTS Religion and the book trade Graphic design: history in the This, the twenty-ninth Print Networks making Conference on the history of the Brit- ish book trade will take place at the A one-day conference, to be held at St National Library of Wales at Aberyst- Bride Library, London, on Friday 6 wyth on 19–21 July 2011. Speakers May 2011, 9:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m. This will include Professor Cathy Shrank, conference will investigate the status of University of Sheffield, and Dr Eryn graphic design history today, with an Richard Lawrence in action, overseeing White, Aberystwyth University. emphasis on the creation and appli- the operation of an Albion press at St En-suite accommodation will be cation of graphic design. It will review Bride provided on the attractive campus of the state of affairs, looking at where we Aberystwyth University, overlooking are, and questioning where we could go Print workshops Cardigan Bay. In addition to a full next, and why we might go there. programme of papers, there will be Speakers include Christopher Burke, St Bride Foundation is bringing letter- a conference dinner and a visit to the David Crowley, Rick Poynor, Sonia press printing back to Fleet Street. The Roderic Bowen Library in Lampeter. de Puineuf, Alston W. Purvis, David exhibition room, which has long housed 2011 marks the four-hundredth anni- Reinfurt, Catherine de Smet and Teal presses and artefacts from the craft, is versary of the ‘Authorized Version’ of Triggs. It has been organized by Sara being transformed into a print work- the Bible, and so Religion and the De Bondt and Catherine de Smet. Prices shop, where practical teaching and book trade has been chosen as the are £70.oo (£60.00 for Friends); con- hands-on experience can take place. The theme for the conference. A booking cessions £30.00 (£25.00 for Friends). opening of the workshop last November form and provisional programme will The conference is the first in a two- was in response to the many requests shortly be available on Birmingham part series with the second taking place for demonstrations and classes. As a re- University’s British Book Trade Index on 24–25 November 2011 at the École sult, a series of courses and workshops website at www.bbti.bham.ac.uk. 2 printing history news 30 Cheap print and the book trade for display and for practical workshops, £2.23 (see https://www.amazon.co.uk/ similar to the ‘print and pack’ gallery dp/B004HB22OK). See also the author’s You might care to note the date and at the museum’s ancestor, the Bristol website at www.ianboyter.co.uk. It is details of next-year’s Print Networks Industrial Museum. As yet, the nature hoped that a full review will appear in Conference, which will be on Cheap of the printing displays, and the com- the Journal of the Printing Historical print and the book trade. It will be held mitment of M Shed’s management to Society soon. at the University of Leicester on 10– this aspect of Bristol history, remain 12 July 2012 and is being organized uncertain. Further information can jointly with the University of Leicester be found on the M Shed website at Chapbooks Project. Speakers will in- www.mshed.org. Please do not be clude Adam Fox, University of Edin- deterred by the use of English and of burgh and Sheila O’Connell, British pseudo-English on this site, but judge Museum. For further information the new museum on its merits after contact John Hinks at [email protected]. opening-day. We hope to run a report The call for papers will be issued in or review of M Shed and its printing November 2011 on the British Book related activities and displays in a Trade Index website (see above). future issue of PHN, and would welcome the opinions of our readers. Bibliographical Society Lectures The following lectures are open to members of the Bibliographical Society and guests, and are held at University College, Gower Street, London wc1, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Title-page of a miniature edition of Donne, printed by the Curwen Press in Graham Pollard Memorial Lecture 1922 (slightly reduced) Hugh Blair (1718–1800) the J. K. Rowling of 18th-century Scotland? by CURWEN PRESS William Zachs. 19 April in the Gustave BIBLIOGRAPHY Tuck Lecture Theatre. This paper exam- ines the correspondence between Blair Readers may be interested to know and his publishers (Strahan, Cadell and that an historical and descriptive bib- Creech) and the publication history of liography of the books printed by the the works of Blair’s two popular works Curwen Press under Oliver Simon is – the Sermons, published in five volumes NEW BOOK currently being mounted on the inter- between 1777 and 1801, and the Lec- net. The bibliography was originally tures on rhetoric and belles lettres, pub- The adventures of the Gutenberg boys compiled by Robin Phillips in 1963 as lished in 1783. by Ian Boyter (see above). Set in the part of his Diploma in Librarianship 1960s, this is a comic novel concerning from University College, London, and Homee and Phiroze Randeria Lecture the work, play and youthful shenani- is based on the Curwen Press Board gans of a group of printing apprentices Room library. It was compiled under Binder, faker, and artist by Dr Mirjam as they learn to use the 500-year-old the supervision of the late Howard M. Foot. 17 May in the Gustave Tuck technology of letterpress, at the vener- Nixon. The library has since been dis- Lecture Theatre. Théodore Hagué was able Edinburgh book-printer R. and R. persed in sales after the closure of the a notorious forger of bookbindings, Clark. In the busy printing factory, in Press in 1989. Mr Phillips hopes what yet aspects of his work have not been glitzy but grimy dance halls where rock- he calls his ‘handlist’ will be of use to fully investigated. This paper answers n-roll was the latest craze, and in the booksellers, printing historians and some of the unresolved questions that streets of old Edinburgh, Blackie, the special collection librarians. When com- were left at the end of a previous Ran- youngest apprentice, and his cronies pleted, there will be detailed indexes of deria lecture and focuses on the ‘re- relieve the daily grind by harassing the authors, titles, editors and other names, markably beautiful caskets’ that have gaffer, betting on the outcome of the typefaces, paper and methods of illus- so far remained obscure. Cuban missile crisis, flirting with for- tration. In addition ‘powerful search gery, fire-raising and engaging with the facilities’ will be provided. Researchers Bristol Museum opening fair sex as they approach maturity and are invited to contact Mr Phillips with become printers of books. suggestions and enquiries. The text is M SHED, the new Museum at Bristol, The book is now available as an e- being revised and mounted in sections. is due to open on Friday 17 June 2011. book (not yet in traditional printed Further details, including a contact e- The museum has substantial holdings form) for Amazon Kindle, iPad, iPhone, mail address for the compiler and the of printing machines and materials, and Android or on your computer.