Visitors to Penrith Museum of Printing’s stand (D6) at Visual Impact will be able to have their names typeset on a US-manufactured original 1890 Pearl printing press, and printed on a poster, as a souvenir of the show.
In addition to this, the team, who are all volunteers at the Museum, will be hosting live, interactive demonstrations showing how printing on paper was done with traditional letterpress technologies. They will also be participating in talks about the history of printing.
Students visiting the show will get a chance to try traditional hand lettering and brushwork, as part of the Try a Trade initiative, which was previously featured at Visual Impact.
Coordinated by Inspiring the Future Australia, Try a Trade brings together schools, apprentices and industry specialists to give secondary students a taste of the possibilities offered by in the broader print, design, sign and display sectors.
The initiative forms part of a student and recruitment program set up by Visual Connections and the Australian Sign & Graphics Association’s (ASGA), which collaborate in programs designed to introduce young people to the print, sign and display market and assist them with appropriate training.
Penrith Museum of Printing volunteer and former group director of print and distribution at Fairfax Bob Lockley anticipates that the stand at Visual Impact will be busy and popular among visitors.
“We recently participated in the Open Day at the Museums of History’s Western Sydney Records Centre in Kingswood and produced posters for 200 people – adults and children. It was fantastic,” he said, explaining that the Pearl printing press performed flawlessly throughout the day.
“People were fascinated by the process and amazed that the Gutenberg was operated by foot power,” he said.
Lockley also shared that the Penrith Museum of Printing has recently had a new addition to its collection – a 1700s replica.
“We are proud of the response received by the Glenmore Park Church Seniors, who were the first group to see it and praised the museum’s unique approach to showcasing history as a living, working museum,” he said.
Visitors to the museum, which is manned solely by volunteers from the trade, can experience the sights, sounds, and smells of a functioning museum by scheduling a group tour during the week or dropping by on Sundays. The museum also offers courses for those interested. For more information, click here.
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