Printingprinting History history news 20 News 1 The Newsletter of the National Printing 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 Book- Glasgow 501: out of print, lecture, sellers Association, Sackville House, w1j 0dr Tuesday 21 October, Bridewell Hall, 40 Piccadilly, London . 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 woodcut 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 Books 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- Communication), Alan Kitching and November 2008 at the Foundling bers and £7.00 for non-members. Celia Stothard (Typography 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 typeface 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 printing Press 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 illustration meaningfully. 3:30 relating to the history of printing 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 technology, the printing and (105 × 148 mm) landscape or portrait; related industries, printed materials typographic, illustrative, photographic Bookbinding competition exhibition and artefacts, type and typefounding, or a combination of techniques of your at the John Rylands Library, Deans- print culture, and printing processes choosing; hand- or machine-made gate, Manchester from Saturday 15 and design. paper 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.