The ".918 Club" Story

Heritage Press Museum on N. Queen Street

It was an ordinary day.  Just delivered a few of my altered Polaroids to Wayne at Strawberry & Co. in downtown Lancaster and decided to visit the Heritage Museum across the street and see what the new print shop looked like.  Wasn't there, but the kind lady reading her Kindle at the desk told me they had moved to the 300 block of North Queen St.  "They are run by some group that has a number for their name," she said.  "Would it be .918?" I asked her.  She looked in amazement at me and said, "That's exactly what it is.  How did you know that?"  I responded, "That's the height of a piece of hand-set type and I imagine that most old-time printers would know that number."  I thanked her and headed north on Queen St.  The narrow building is tucked nicely between two other stores with a sign in front that says "OPEN."  Along with that is a sign that proclaims "Heritage Press Museum."  I entered …... and walked back in time.  The print shop is meant to resemble a shop in the 1920s which was geared towards letterpress printing.  Letterpress printing was the standard means of printing books from the 1450s until the 1950s. In letterpress printing a technique of relief (printing from a raised surface) printing uses a platen printing press.  A worker composes and locks movable type into the bed of a press, inks it, and presses paper against it to transfer the ink from the type to the paper.  Simple as that!  And, it really is simple compared to today's digital printing presses.  Frank and Mike were busy working on printing Christmas Cards that are for sale to visitors of the printing museum.  Back in the late '70s I taught letterpress printing to high school students in my graphic arts classes.  After letterpress fell by the wayside, a victim of new printing technology, I had the school donate most of the equipment.  Perhaps Frank and Mike may have used some of my old printing pieces to create their cards.  

Both of them are members of the .918 Club of Lancaster.  Their website says: The club brings together the volunteers of the Heritage Press Museum to share ideas and suggestions concerning the educational demonstration. They provide an outlet for anyone who might have an interest in letterpress printing or interested in learning about the trade.  For me, standing there, watching Mike hand-feed the paper into the press, the rollers passing over the red ink disc and closing onto the paper brought back many happy memories.  When I was first hired to do the in-house printing over the summer at the high school where I taught, I did it all on the letterpress.  Envelope after envelope was hand-fed into the press and restacked back in the box.  Time consuming to say the least.  To print a box of 500 return addresses on the envelopes might have taken close to a half-hour.  Today I still do the same jobs, but the envelopes now take less than four minutes for the same box. I talked with the two volunteers for nearly an hour while inhaling the magic smell of printer's ink.  Wow!  I know I said it before, but what memories!  Took some photos to share with you and if you happen to be in Lancaster, PA and want to experience life as it was in the past, stop in the "Heritage Press Museum."  I told them I might have to consider joining their club and getting back to work on some of my old equipment.  You never forget how to set type or …… the smell of the ink.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Mike printing Christmas Cards on the letterpress.

The California Job Case where individual metal letter are housed for type setting.  You can see where each letter is placed as well as the numbers and punctuation.  Capitals are on the right side.  They are placed in this position based of usage.  Printer's job cases didn't have the hand written letters in them as you see here, since you had to memorize the case for speed.

These are type drawers marked with the style of the face of the type on it.  The number refers to the actual size with 72 pt. being letters 1" high.  36 pt. would therefore be 1/2".

The type is hand-set in this metal device called a job stick or composing stick.  Everything is upside down and backwards to the typesetter.

The hand-set type is then "locked-up" in a metal chase or frame using quoins or tightening devices.  This is all done on what is known as the imposing stone which may be an actual piece of stone or a machined metal top.

It is then placed in the platen press (letterpress) as you see here. It is referred to as a platen press, since the paper is held in place on a metal table called the platen.   This is Mike's verse that he is printing inside the Christmas Card.  Notice the red ink rollers going over the letters.

Engravings can be added if you want a drawing.  This engraving was done by hand cutting it into a wooden block using the tools that lay next to the block.  The final result is at the top of the engraving.  Everything has to be cut in reverse. I used to have my classes cut linoleum blocks which are type high and could be run on the letterpress.   Click on the photo to enlarge it.

This is Frank who was the master engraver who made the wood engraving you see here.  Master engravers were talented individual who had quite a bit of artistic talent, as Frank does.

This is a guillotine paper cutter used for trimming the cards.  Any scoring, perforating, or folding could be done on the letterpress.