Loving Letterpress. Wooden alphabets saved from the skip.

There is something so seductive about wooden type. This is one of two type trays I brought home from a print shop in Eccles, Manchester. You will notice at the top of the picture a rather robust table top proofing press that also found its way into the boot of the Ford Fiesta.

I went to a printing firm who are moving premises having been in the same place for a very long time, and had not thrown anything away. So all the letterpress and everything to support it was still there, having been put to one side as technology progressed, and then forgotten about.

There is so much of it that the owner is having difficulty finding ways to shift it all, and he's very concerned that much of it may have to be scrapped. However, I have been able to give him a couple of names of enthusiasts who are probably better resourced than me, and with luck the type and all the letterpress and printing treasures will find new homes. I certainly wish I was a lot wealthier!

The letters are grimy with the dust of decades, so I have been gently cleaning them, and looking forward to printing. There are four full upper case fonts, and I fully intended to have more, but the proofing press caught my eye.

Aren't these letters beautiful? I am planning a series of Shakespeare cards with collage and letterpress, and these are going to be perfect. There are so many other possibilities as well!
As always, my black and white cat is very interested in all that happens, particularly on the kitchen table.