Letterpress Workshop in Western Australia

Following the success of the first workshop at the Abbey Press in the Monastery town of New Norcia in Western Australia, a second three-day workshop is now being offered. Dates are Tuesday 24 March to Thursday 26 March 2015. The workshop will be suitable for beginners, or those with a little experience. Equipment includes a good range of metal and wood type, borders, etc., an Adana and small proof press, an Arab treadle press and a Grafix (Vandercook lookalike) proof press. The workshop includes full board, a tour of the Monastery town, and a visit to the Library, which holds a collection of early printed books. The workshop will be taught by Claire Bolton, a printer with 40 years letterpress experience (and a research degree in early printing history).
A third workshop is planned for Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November 2015.

For further details, contact Toni Tejada at [email protected]

David Bolton
The Alembic Press
Cowaramup, WA, Australia and Abingdon & Oxford, UK

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These Workshops are celebrating the return of the Abbey Press to active letterpress. We have now got the Grafix proof press into action, although lacking 3 phase, at the moment it has to be inked by hand. Also, the bed level adjusment is still seized, luckily at type height rather than galley plus type. One day we might get sufficient funds for a single to three phase converter, to allow for electric inking.

Nevertheless, we have now printed bookmarks, cards and notelets for the Museum shop, and a small leaflet about the history of the Abbey Press (with linotype setting courtesy of Dardanup Heritage Park).

Once signage has been produced, plus a bit more display material, the Press could well become part of the official tours of the Monastery town.