Happy Valentine Broadside Printing Day

Young Man With Valentine Broadside

Behold the smile. Everyone who pulled a print during our second annual celebration of the renovation of the library’s Albion handpress on February 2nd left with a smile and a broadside. Most experienced letterpress printing for the very first time and all enjoyed the expert guidance of local printers Fred Voltmer, Norman McKnight and Alan Dye.

 

The Initial Letter "F" Copper Block

It all started with the initial letter "F" from the Prints of Original Wood Blocks From the Archives of McLoughlin Bros. Publishers N. Y. We had a copper block made of the image.

 

The Red Ink

We brought out the red ink and other tools. We set the type, cut the paper, and pre-printed the colophon in black ink. We called our printer friends for help. (Actually that was our first step.)

Inking The Block

We inked the block, placed the paper on the tympan,"run the coffin in" under the platen, pulled the "devils tail", rolled it back out, lifted the tympan and voila!

Pulling the "Devil's Tail"

The event drew a crowd and people waited in line with anticipation. Our youngest printer had his mom's help...

The Youngest Printer With His Mom and Broadside

...and despite not being able to capture his smile on film, we guarantee he and his parents were smiling when they left the library. 

Gretta Mitchell and her daughter

Two very special guests were Gretta Mitchell and her daughter. Gretta and her husband, the late Frederick C. Mitchell [1933-1996], owned and worked this very Albion handpress for over forty years before it was acquired by the library. Gretta and her daughter came to print a broadside which was especially meaningful for them because February 2nd was Fred Mitchell's birthday.

Happy Valentine's Day!