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Printingprinting History history news 20 News 1 The Newsletter of the National Heritage Trust, Printing Historical Society and Friends of St Bride Library Number 20  Autumn 2008

ST BRIDE EVENTS booking form, or for more information, please contact: Antiquarian - Glasgow 501: out of print, lecture, sellers Association, Sackville House, w1j 0dr Tuesday 21 October, Bridewell Hall, 40 Piccadilly, . Tel: 7:00 p.m. Steve Rigley and Edwin Pick- 020 7439 3118. Fax: 020 7439 3119. stone will be talking about some of the Email: [email protected]. Wesbite: extraordinary letterpress work to have www.aba.org.uk. emerged from the University of Glas- gow’s research unit entitled ‘Out of Advance notice. The twenty-sixth Print print’ in the context of a year of cele- Networks Conference for the British brations of 500 years of printing in Book Trade Seminar will be held Scotland (see also page 2 below). between Tuesday 28 and Thursday 30 July 2009 at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. Letterpress: a celebration, one-day Further details will appear in a forth- conference, Friday 7 November, 9:30 coming issue of PHN. a.m.–5:00 p.m. There will be a packed Detail of a by Ian Mortimer, programme of talks, demonstrations I.M. Imprimit and displays of work from those keen Designer Bookbinders to share their infectious enthusiasm for Book trade conferences events letterpress in the twenty-first century. Come and join in the debates that are for sale: the advertising and Unless otherwise noted, the following sure to emerge. Speakers: Phil Abel promotion of print from the fifteenth events will be held at the Art Workers (Hand & Eye Letterpress), Claire century. The thirtieth annual Confer- Guild, 6 Queen Square, London wc1. Bolton (Alembic Press), Alex Cooper ence on Book Trade History will be Lectures begin at 6:30 p.m. Admission and Rose Gridneff (London College of held on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 is £2.50 for students, £5.00 for mem- ), Alan Kitching and November 2008 at the Foundling bers and £7.00 for non-members. Celia Stothard ( Work- Museum, 40 Brunswick Square, Lon- Season tickets are also available for shop, London), Alan May (press- don wc1 1az. Speakers will include: four lectures at £9.00 for students, builder), Harry McIntosh (compositor Lotte Hellinga, Trade advertisements £18.00 for members and £26.00 for and typecaster), John Randle (Whit- for books printed before 1501; Juli- non-members (or for all eight lectures tington Press) and Patrick Walker anne Simpson, Selling the Biblia Regia: in the annual series the prices are (Dust). Exhibitors include: Experi- the marketing and distribution methods £18.00, £36.00 and £52.00 respec- mental Letterpress Workshop, Hi Artz for Christopher Plantin’s polyglot tively). The nearest tube stations are Press, Incline Press, I. M. Imprimit (see Bible; Michael Harris, Advertising in Holborn and Russell Square. The figure above), New North Press, Old print and print in advertising around organizers, Rachel Ward-Sale and Julia School Press and Strawberry Press. 1700; Charles Benson, ‘Mingling judic- Dummett, welcome ideas for future iously the grave and gay’: advertising lectures or any suggestions for improve- Re-opening of the Library reading books in early nineteenth-century ments to the format of the series. Please room, evening reception, Thursday 20 Ireland; Alan Powers, ‘From protection telephone 01273 486718 or e-mail November, 6:00–8:00 p.m., hosted by to promotion’: the uses of the book [email protected]. the St Bride Foundation for the Friends jacket; Peter Straus, The use and effect of St Bride Library and their guests. of literary prizes in the twentieth cent- ‘Bound for higher things’: the experi- ury; Udo Goellmann, Buying and ence of the Rampant Lions Press in Systematic book design? Lecture, Thurs- selling rare books online: yesterday and designing edition bindings for fine day 27 November, Bridewell Hall, 7:00 tomorrow. books lecture by Sebastian Carter, p.m. Jost Hochuli, internationally ac- The Conference is organized by Tuesday 7 October. claimed book-designer, will share his Michael Harris, Giles Mandelbrote and thoughts on the book-design process Robin Myers, in association with the The invisible binder lecture by George and also answer questions on aspects Antiquarian Booksellers Association. Kirkpatrick, Tuesday 4 November. of typographical detailing, the subject The full fee of £80.00 (one day £50.00) ‘Where have you been hiding all these of his latest book Detail in typography. includes conference, lunches and access years?’ is a frequently asked question Copies will be available for sale on the to the Foundling Museum. A limited to which George will give an answer, evening at a discounted rate. number of reduced-rate places, spon- illuminated by slides of his binding- sored by the Bibliographical Society, will related work over more than forty For more data see www.stbride.org. be available to registered students. For a years. 2 printing history news 20

Study day, Saturday 10 January. Con- Street, Glasgow g3 7dn. August to a tempting invitation? sists of the following events: 10:30 a.m. September. Free. Work in print: a cele- Caroline Archer Ewan Clayton, The written artefact as bration of Kelso’s contribution to 500 a contemplative space. In this talk, years of printing in Scotland. Held at St Design a type-tart card. You are invited which features a number of projects James Fair, Town Hall, Kelso. 6–7 Sep- to have some graphic fun and at the made in collaboration with Peter Jones, tember. See www.kelso.bordernet.co.uk. same time help support the St Bride Ewan explores his thinking about the Library. We would like you to design a place hand-work has in a digital age PHS grants in printing ‘tart card’ either for a or a and its importance in our lives. 12:00 history for 2009 letter of the alphabet (‘tart cards’ are noon. Jenni Grey, Design basics: adopt- the means by which London prosti- ing contemporary design tools and tutes advertise their services – step into processes in your work and as a way The Printing Historical Society is very pleased to continue its programme of any central London phone-box and of life. 2:00 p.m. Simon Brett, wood- you can contemplate up to eighty such engraver, The painfull adventures of small grants for the fifth year. Grants will be made for: cards, with their singular artwork and Pericles, Prince of Tyre. Simon will talk language). Sabon might invite you to § Research on topics relating to the about his collaboration with Barbarian caress its counters, or Palatino advert- history of on an edition of Shakespeare’s ise its ‘Mega Serifs’. Perhaps you see Pericles, and their attempt to combine § Publishable reports on archives something seductive in the curves of text and meaningfully. 3:30 relating to the the ‘S’, or submissive in the eye of the p.m. Maureen Duke, A long-life binder: Grants are limited to historical research ‘e’. The specification is as follows: A6 experience and experiences. in printing , the printing and (105 × 148 mm) landscape or portrait; related industries, printed materials typographic, illustrative, photographic competition exhibition and artefacts, type and typefounding, or a combination of techniques of your at the John Rylands Library, Deans- , and printing processes choosing; hand- or -made gate, Manchester from Saturday 15 and design. or card; single- or full-colour; November 2008 to Sunday 18 January Applications for research funding one side should bear image and text, 2009. Opening hours: Monday and may be for up to £1,000; applications the other the signature of the designer Wednesday–Saturday 10:00 a.m. to for publishable reports on archives, up and the date; hard copy only, please, 5:00 p.m., Tuesday and Sunday 12:00 to £500. In both cases grants may be electronic versions will not be accepted. to 5:00 p.m. Closed between 25 Dec- used to cover material or other expen- Closing date 30 October 2008 (15 ember and 4 January. ses, including travel, subsistence, photo- December for university students). graphy, etc. Applications should specify Entries will be exhibited at the Plus the amount requested and offer a International Design Festival at Birm- 500 years of printing in budget for the use of funds envisaged; ingham, 5–8 November (www.you- Scotland costs incurred before application are plusus.net), and at the St Bride Library unlikely to be successful, as are projects in early 2009; the collection will be The following events are being held to that are deemed to be primarily biblio- auctioned and proceeds donated to St mark the quincentenary of the intro- graphical. Students, academics and Bride. Prizes will be awarded for the duction of printing to Scotland. independent researchers may apply. top three entries. Please send entries to Some preference will be given to inde- Type LLP, 1st Floor, The Toll House, From this place words fly: a DVD pendent researchers. The Bond, 180–182 Fazeley St, Birm- installation by Kenny Munro and The application should consist of: ingham b5 5se. Tel: 0121 766 7948. Edward O’Donnelly, who have created 1) a one-page covering letter, contain- E-mail: [email protected]. an evocative film to celebrate Scotland’s ing a brief curriculum vitae, and the printing history, inspired by the ambit- name, address and e-mail of one referee ions and skills of printers and the rapid (who has agreed to serve as referee), increase in printing expertise over the and 2) a one- or two-page description last century. By merging old and new of the project and budget. The project , they invite us to consider description should state its purpose the future of the printed word. The clearly, and succinctly. Please state project includes footage from Scottish whether your project is part of a larger Screen, Robert Smail’s Printing Works one, and whether you are applying at Innerleithen and from Powderhall elsewhere for funding. Note that your Foundry, Edinburgh. On show at the compliance with the length instructions National Museums of Scotland, Cham- will form part of our evaluation of the bers Street, Edinburgh, from 20 Sep- application, so be certain not to go tember to 7 December 2008. Further beyond the three pages of hard copy. details can be found at www.nms.ac.uk. Post your application to the PHS Grants & Prizes Sub-Committee, Peggy Other current exhibitions: Scottish Smith, 18 Market Hill, Clare, Sudbury popular press at the Central Reference co10 8nn, UK; e-mail can be used for Library, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, questions, but not for submitting the Speaking of tarts (or tartes anyway), eh1 1eg. 1 September to 31 October application: [email protected]. to find out how that depicted above 2008. Free. Tel: 0131 242 8000. The Application deadline: 1 January 2009. relates to printing history, you can visit Herald 225 years, 1783–2008 in the Awards will be announced at the PHS James Mosley’s typographical blog at Main Hall, Mitchell Library, North AGM in March, for disbursal in April. www.typefoundry.blogspot.com. printing history news 20 3

Donald Milham Archive: innumerable mats. As people will under- Most of these museums have, as you stand this is a fairly herculean task and would expect, a strong presence on a reminder I would welcome any advice. Please printing through their direct connec- Rob Clayton e-mail [email protected]. tion with the craft or many of the major personalities within it. I would With the delivery of the Donald Milham highly recommend a visit to any of Archive to the St Bride Library in June, these sites which have all succeeded to and with the matching archive com- PRINTING-RELATED some degree in placing printing and its pleted for the Department of Typo- WEBSITES historical background in context, and would even suggest a follow-up e-mail graphy and Graphic Communication Tony Smith at the University of Reading, the first to encourage yet greater representation of the subject, online if not in reality. As year of the Award project is complete. At the last meeting of the National the Trust knows only too well, printing The second year of the project is now Printing Heritage Trust in March, I needs all the help it can get. under way, and the closing date for gave a brief presentation of the The following quotation is taken at entries is 5 November 2008. PHN printing-related websites that I had length from The industrial heritage of readers are invited to submit entries, been reviewing on behalf of the Trust. Britain by Brian Bailey (1982) and providing they were in or associated The original remit was to look at the serves admirably here to sum up the with the British printing industry. For websites of some ten or twelve of the motivations and the frustrations which information on the Award and its museums contributing to the Trust’s the NPHT experiences in its quest to background, see the piece in PHN 15. Directory of historic printing items held gain wider recognition for the industry For an entry form and further details by museums in the United Kingdom that civilised the world. He writes: please send a stamped addressed and Ireland. As it transpired, printing ‘Now the invention of printing from to In The Print, PO Box 4119 was so poorly represented as to be ba5 2uf movable types, like prehistoric progress Wells, Somerset , or contact non-existent on most museum web- into the Iron Age, had far greater con- me, the co-ordinator of the project, by sites, and I ended up reviewing all 143 sequences for mankind than the so- e-mail on [email protected]. museums on the Trust’s database called in Britain. without real satisfaction. As a result of Not only that, but it has long been way this review it is evident that the NPHT Museum closure ahead of most other industries in the is still the best source of information Jeremy Winkworth degree of its automation. This was not regarding the printing artefacts held by because printing engineers were more museums throughout the country. It is with enormous regret that the ingenious men than railway engineers or The review initially had a two-fold Printing House Museum in Cocker- the inventors of agricultural machinery. purpose. The first was to assimilate mouth has now closed due to the It was because the industry had a much best practice in the presentation of passing of the owner/curator David greater impetus from universal printing from the reviewed websites for Winkworth. and the demand for knowledge. Civiliz- incorporation into the Trust’s own We have given the museum six ation advances printing as war advances website and for this to then serve as a months to tick along and have found weaponry, and paradoxically, printing model for others, much as its Directory that, due to decreasing visitor numbers advances civilization as weaponry ad- has become. The secondary purpose and revenue, the business and museum vances war. Now would you not expect was to create links via the Trust website are no longer viable. My other family printing, which goes back five hundred to the better print-related museum members have never been involved in years in Europe, to be of some interest sites. The Trust has yet to realize these the Museum and so the responsbility to the industrial archaeologist? Yet it ambitions and is somewhat less-than- for the Museum and its contents lies rarely earns a mention, except for inspired by the overall poor represent- solely with me. We have several ideas passing reference in connection with ation of printing by museums online. It to try to preserve the collection but paper-making. Surely this is further will need to continue to press for better realize that as a whole this would be evidence, if any were needed, that the acknowledgement of the subject, not impossible. ‘’ of industrial archaeology is only in actual museum displays but What we initially propose is to try really much too narrowly based. now alongside other featured subjects to house a nucleus inventory entitled ‘The man who operates a printing on museum website pages. ‘The David Winkworth Collection’, machine, though he may sometimes be Of all the websites reviewed from which would consist of the primary disparagingly called a ‘machine-minder’, the Trust database, only the following pieces of the museum and a small has a very long tradition of pride in his displayed at the time any real reference collection of relevant artefacts. craft behind him. He has been a more to printing: Secondly we would donate or sell important agent of civilisation than the pieces to collectors or enthusiasts that www.anchorpress.org.uk coal-miner or the steel-worker. Every meet the criteria of the Museum. www.johnjarroldprintingmuseum.org.uk town in Britain has its printing works, Thirdly we would have an open (this site has recently been updated, large or small, where men use sale/auction for all the other equip- with a revised list of holdings) to spread information. If the men did ment, and lastly the scrap and junk www.ditchlingmuseum.com not exist, none of the modern industries man would be called. discussed in this book would be as www.amberleymuseum.co.uk I would welcome comments, advanced as they are.’ feedback and suggestions from any www.mkmuseum.org.uk/exhibit/ I hope that this will be read and interested parties. Particularly difficult printshop.htm taken to heart by curators nationwide, is the large collection of Linotype and www.eastanglianlife.org.uk/ and that they join the Trust in its en- Ludlow comprising six machines and printing.html deavours by promoting their own 4 printing history news 20 printing artefacts to a place of promi- SMALL ADS nence not only in their museums but also on their websites. Presses and equipment ANN MUIR available

The paper-marbler Ann Muir died on As part of a rationalisation of Bristol 21 July 2008, at a hospice at Salisbury. Museums, Galleries and Archives Most readers will know something of printing collections, the following items Ann’s work and the remarkable are available for free transfer to regis- she produced over more than thirty tered museums. Recipient to provide years. Many of the world’s private transport. presses used her designs for wrappers and board-papers for their books, and • Sheeting machine, made by Knowl- she made a speciality of matching ton & Beech, Rochester, N Y, U S A, historical examples of marbled papers ca. 1910 for conservators and bookbinders, • Paper sheet jogging table to work Greig guillotine available and supplying new designs and colour- with the foregoing, made by Auto- combinations to order for artists, Seeking a good home, a ‘Conqueror’ knockups Co., Reading, ca. 1930 printers and designers. She could also guillotine (in good working condition) work on a huge scale when necessary, • Heavy duty made made by J. Greig and Sons in 1900, producing thousands of sheets of by Cundall Folding Machine Co., with a 42-inch blade. Current location: paper for the quarter-bindings of Luton Meath, Ireland. If interested, please certain Folio Society books since 1978. contact John McDonnell, McDonnell’s • Albion printing press made by Ann also practiced the ancient art of Printing and Used Equipment, Harrild and Sons, London, 1881 ‘ebru’, drawing with marbling tech- Dromone, Oldcastle, Meath, Ireland. ( 16½ × 11½ inches) niques to produce unique images. E-mail: [email protected]. Ann’s marbling business was sold • Albion printing press made by Tel: (044) 9666350 or (087) 207 earlier in the year to Chivers, and they Hopkinson and Cope, London, 3217. McDonnell’s can advise on have decided to retain the premises at 1900 (platen 34 × 23 inches) transportation, and can also provide a Frome in Somerset and to employ Julie fork-lift truck for use in loading at • Two-striker pen ruling machine Spencer, who worked with Ann for the their premises. made by John Shaw and Co. Ltd, last twenty-five years, to continue the Honley, Huddersfield, 1956 business and train a new marbler. All the patterns and colours created by Interested parties should contact Ann will remain available, as will the Andy King, preferably by e-mail at ability to match or copy any historical [email protected], or at the USEFUL CONTACTS paper or produce something new and Museum of Bristol Project, former specific to order. For further details of National Printing Heritage Trust Industrial Museum, Wapping Road the firm see www.ammarbling.com. A www.npht.org.uk Bristol bs1 4rn. Tel: 0117 9031569. full obituary will appear in a future Chair: Michael Twyman issue of Parenthesis, the journal of the [email protected] Fine Press Book Association. Printing Historical Society Printing Historical Society publications for sale www.printinghistoricalsociety.org.uk ‘Ideal’ paper sizes Chair: Peggy Smith [email protected] John Trevitt All the publications of PHS, including both series of the Journal, Newsletters, Friends of St Bride Library I have before me a book, Early British Bulletins (these last two bound into www.stbride.org trackways by Alfred Watkins, pub- volumes) and the various books and Chair: Rob Banham lished by the Watkins Meter Company pamphlets. To be sold as a complete set [email protected] of Hereford in 1922. It was printed £200.00. Please contact Chris Hicks, 64 by the Hereford Times. A kind of colo- St Bride Library, Bride Lane, Merewood Avenue, Sandhills, Oxford Fleet Street, London ec4y 8ee ox3 8ef phon states that ‘This page is King 8vo . Tel: 01856 769346. E-mail: www.stbride.org in the Ideal series of paper sizes, wherein [email protected]. Librarian: Nigel Roche octavo and quarto have the same pro- [email protected] portion, and three master sizes give a full series of uniform shape.’ The trim- BOOKS BOUGHT Printing History News 3 15 med size of the book is 8 /4 × 5 /16 Editor: Paul W. Nash inches (215 × 150 mm). What more John Trevitt is still seeking books 8 Fairfield Drive, Witney, ox28 5lb can be said about the ‘Ideal’ series? is it about books (typography, printing, Oxfordshire [email protected] related to DIN sizes? If you can throw history and illustration). any light on the subject, please contact Contact John Trevitt, Rose Cottage, Published by the NPHT, PHS and the me at Rose Cottage, Church Road, Church Road, Weobley, Hereford hr4 Friends of St Bride Library, September Weobley, Hereford hr4 8sd. E-mail: 8sd. Tel: 01544 318388. E-mail: 2008. Printed by W. H. Evans and Sons [email protected]. [email protected]. Ltd, Chester.

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