OT a bit: A BLAST FROM THE PAST
ConversazioniFine Press Forum
Iscriviti a LibraryThing per pubblicare un messaggio.
1Glacierman
Although not directly pertaining to fine printing as usually presented in this group, this post is about letterpress printing...and printers...so I ask you to indulge me a bit and thank you in advance.
I have been a subscriber to the letpress mailing list for over 20 years. Although I have been mostly a “lurker,” in that I rarely post anything, I have enjoyed the experience. Letterpress operators and afficionados from around the world hang out there although the actively posting members are primarily from the U. S., Canada, Australia and England. I have learned much from these experienced folk and mayhap some day I will be able to put it into use.
In late 1997, it was suggested by a fellow subscriber that the listees put together an exchange of prop cards which was well received although the tyros among us (including myself) had no idea what a “prop card” was. Simply put, that is a small, maybe 3" x 5" card with the name of the press/print shop, the proprietor’s name (the “prop”), address and a short blurb about the shop printed thereon. Basically, a small advertising card.
Although I did not then—and do not now—have a letterpress operation, I was (and still am) the proprietor of a digital private press, Rising Wolf Press, and I asked if I might be a participant in the exchange. Well, not being snobs, the gang cheerfully invited me to participate and so I supplied, not a prop card (which I did not have at that time although I do now), but a small broadside printed on a 24-pin color dot matrix printer(!).
I printed up the required number of copies (48) and sent them off to the exchange co-ordinator in January of 1998 and in due time, I received my packet of “stuff.” It was an interesting collection. John Hern provided some lead type samples from his typefoundry at the sign of the Happy Greyhound which consisted of four border fleurons. There were prop cards, business cards, note cards, a recipe and various other interesting items...and my broadside. Most of the contributions were printed letterpress, but there were a few exceptions, mine among them. Most contributors were from the U. S. and Canada, but there was also one from Israel. That was an unexpected gem.
The shops were mostly private & hobby presses, museum presses, etc., but there were some job shops as well.
Some of these folks are still active. I leave it to you to find them if you are interested.
Anyone wishing to subscribe to the list can do so here.
The images below show the gamut of printing samples that were in the packet. It was a lot of fun!
WARNING!!!! THERE ARE ONE HECK OF A LOT OF IMAGES HEREIN. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
BUSINESS CARDS, ETC.
A LARGE IMAGE TO BETTER SHOW THE EMBOSSING
SOME BOOKLETS, CARDS, ETC.
WELL, SHE DESPERATELY WANTED A REAL PRESS!
THE END!
Edited to correct an image.
I have been a subscriber to the letpress mailing list for over 20 years. Although I have been mostly a “lurker,” in that I rarely post anything, I have enjoyed the experience. Letterpress operators and afficionados from around the world hang out there although the actively posting members are primarily from the U. S., Canada, Australia and England. I have learned much from these experienced folk and mayhap some day I will be able to put it into use.
In late 1997, it was suggested by a fellow subscriber that the listees put together an exchange of prop cards which was well received although the tyros among us (including myself) had no idea what a “prop card” was. Simply put, that is a small, maybe 3" x 5" card with the name of the press/print shop, the proprietor’s name (the “prop”), address and a short blurb about the shop printed thereon. Basically, a small advertising card.
Although I did not then—and do not now—have a letterpress operation, I was (and still am) the proprietor of a digital private press, Rising Wolf Press, and I asked if I might be a participant in the exchange. Well, not being snobs, the gang cheerfully invited me to participate and so I supplied, not a prop card (which I did not have at that time although I do now), but a small broadside printed on a 24-pin color dot matrix printer(!).
I printed up the required number of copies (48) and sent them off to the exchange co-ordinator in January of 1998 and in due time, I received my packet of “stuff.” It was an interesting collection. John Hern provided some lead type samples from his typefoundry at the sign of the Happy Greyhound which consisted of four border fleurons. There were prop cards, business cards, note cards, a recipe and various other interesting items...and my broadside. Most of the contributions were printed letterpress, but there were a few exceptions, mine among them. Most contributors were from the U. S. and Canada, but there was also one from Israel. That was an unexpected gem.
The shops were mostly private & hobby presses, museum presses, etc., but there were some job shops as well.
Some of these folks are still active. I leave it to you to find them if you are interested.
Anyone wishing to subscribe to the list can do so here.
The images below show the gamut of printing samples that were in the packet. It was a lot of fun!
WARNING!!!! THERE ARE ONE HECK OF A LOT OF IMAGES HEREIN. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
BUSINESS CARDS, ETC.
A LARGE IMAGE TO BETTER SHOW THE EMBOSSING
SOME BOOKLETS, CARDS, ETC.
WELL, SHE DESPERATELY WANTED A REAL PRESS!
THE END!
Edited to correct an image.
4Glacierman
>2 kdweber: Yup. I made a boo-boo. Got in a hurry when scanning earlier today.
5ultrarightist
Good stuff! Thank you for sharing.
6astropi
Really cool. My alma mater had Hebrew font in their letterpress workshop. I always wanted to do something with it, alas never did... I blame having to finish my PhD and graduate!
7maisiedotes
>1 Glacierman: While doing a word search of "Israel," I came across this thread and recognized a name on a business card in this post. The man was my husband's boss twenty years ago—in a lab, which had nothing to do with printing.
My husband had told me about his boss's hobby, but back then, I was uninitiated. I also had an infant and a toddler and no bandwidth for "old things." A grape press could have done the same thing as a fine press, for all I knew. Now I regret missing an opportunity to learn about printing from a local enthusiast. Your blast from the past was also one for me!
My husband had told me about his boss's hobby, but back then, I was uninitiated. I also had an infant and a toddler and no bandwidth for "old things." A grape press could have done the same thing as a fine press, for all I knew. Now I regret missing an opportunity to learn about printing from a local enthusiast. Your blast from the past was also one for me!
8Glacierman
>7 maisiedotes: Just out of curiosity, who was it?
9maisiedotes
>8 Glacierman: It was Barry Shrader, the proprietor of Livermore Grape Press.
I was looking up Israel because we were going on a trip there, and I wanted to visit an antiquarian/fine bookstore. I would have been interested in meeting Yehuda Miklaf or visiting his gallery if he has one. As it turns out, we had no free daylight hours. If there's a next time, I'll MAKE time!
I was looking up Israel because we were going on a trip there, and I wanted to visit an antiquarian/fine bookstore. I would have been interested in meeting Yehuda Miklaf or visiting his gallery if he has one. As it turns out, we had no free daylight hours. If there's a next time, I'll MAKE time!
10kermaier
>9 maisiedotes:
Did you find any interesting bookstores?
By the way, the Tut Neyar paper mill, mentioned in Miklaf’s description, is still in business.
https://www.tutneyar.co.il/english
Did you find any interesting bookstores?
By the way, the Tut Neyar paper mill, mentioned in Miklaf’s description, is still in business.
https://www.tutneyar.co.il/english
11maisiedotes
>10 kermaier: Ooh, thanks for that link. It's nice to know that you can take a tour and a workshop.
Through the window of our bus, I spotted the "Educational Bookshop" https://educationalbookshop.com/, but the closest I got to any books was in a gift shop.
I wanted to visit Book Gallery, but time didn't allow. https://bookgallery.co.il/content/english/Default.asp
Through the window of our bus, I spotted the "Educational Bookshop" https://educationalbookshop.com/, but the closest I got to any books was in a gift shop.
I wanted to visit Book Gallery, but time didn't allow. https://bookgallery.co.il/content/english/Default.asp
