Letterpress Shops/Museums in Rome, Florence, Paris

Brannon:

I don’t know if your journeys will take you as far north as Cornuda (quite a distance northeast of Florence), but this museum has intrigued me online for quite some time and is on my list when I return to Italy:

http://www.tipoteca.it

If not, take the time to look up a couple local printeries in the towns you do visit. I had a great visit to a small letterpress shop in a back street of Florence several years ago. The owner seemed grateful to have someone show interest in his little shop. Unfortunately, I have no record of the name of the shop, We just happened by it as we were strolling around the streets and I saw the press running.

John Henry

Hello Brannon, no letterpress museum in Paris, although the collection of presses, type and punches of l’Imprimerie nationale is awesome. Sadly enough, the French can’t (once again) get their act together and all the stuff sits in a horrible building in the suburbs of Paris. L’Imprimerie nationale belongs to the Ministry of Economics, who don’t want the Ministry of Culture look after the stuff. You can see a minuscule and sad display of some presses, cases and tools at the Musée des Arts et Métiers though.
The national museum of printing in France is in Lyon, a 1-hour fast train ride from Paris.

Rome, Georgia; Florence, Alabama; or Paris, Tennessee? Had to post this before DickG.!

James must be slow at work???

In Florence you could visit the Laurentian Library and see the 1818-vintage wooden hand press that was the press Victor Hammer chose to copy when he was in Florence and wanted a hand press. His copy is now at the University of Kentucky’s King Library Press.

Bob

Brannon , when you get to europe hire a bicycle not a car and go down the litle streets and listen to the world !!
I have found most of my work this way ,get a bike and go for a circuitous route ,you will find all you could need in this fashion! Just a note of warning brush up on your french ,a lot of them dont appreciate having to speak in a foreign language on their home turf!

I’m with John Henry - Tipoteca in Cornuda, Italy is a MUST SEE if you are in northern Italy. I have not personally been there, but the folks from Tipoteca have been to the past few Wayzgooses at the Hamilton Wood Type Museum and have made some presentations with slide shows. The place is absolutely stunning. I assume you can go on-line as John suggested and check it out as well. This woiuld be THE printing museum in Italy.

Rick

Woah! Thanks for all the responses!

Ill definitely try an get away from the city to see the shop in Tipoteca and Lyons, and visit the Laurentian Library in Florence. I’ve been to europe once before for college; I spent a summer there on a scholarship to study archaeology and italian. My french is sadly lacking, but I think I can survive.

I’ll keep a look out for any cool letterpress places as well!

Hi Brannon,

If you are thinking about Tipoteca, contact Sandro Berra (the head guy) there beforehand for the easiest ways to get there. Sandro speaks English very well and just tell him that some people that had been to the Hamilton Wayzgoose told you about Tipoteca. That should create a warm welcome for you there.

I would not doubt that someone from the museum might even pick you up somewhere along the way to get you to the museum.

Rick

Hi Bannon ,if you are travelling along the ligurian to Oneglia there is a letterpress printers in Via Amendola .Inside there is the linotype ,caseroom and heidelberg with a man working the lino and a lady setting type a fantastic sight .By the way if you are in Rome not far away a little more than half an hour by train to Latina Scalo then a bus trip up the mountains to Bassiano the birthplace of the famous printer Aldo Manuzio . He was a very important figure in Venice in the print world in his time .As far as I know there is a museum to him in the town .All info on the net .buon fortuna on your Giro Italia Peter.