Explore New York’s Publishing History With A Bowne & Co. Talk On The Letterpress

Letterpress printing used to be crucial to Lower Manhattan, thanks to the famous concentration of newspaper offices on Park Row in the 19th century. Newspapers have long since moved their offices away from City Hall — and moved their printing presses even further away — but the legacy of the letterpress in the neighborhood lives on. Learn about it on December 14 with this virtual talk from Poster House and Bowne & Co., which operates a print shop in the Seaport District.  

The event will feature Robert Wilson, art director at Bowne & Co., who will talk about the early history of letterpress printing in New York City. The presentation will explore the production processes that built the visual landscape of New York, and the typographic trends of broadsides and handbills from the 19th century. Questions are welcome, too. 

Wilson is a designer, educator and letterpress printer who is responsible for the general operations of custom printing, education, public programming at Bowne & Co. He oversees the printing history collection that features 34 printing presses and 2,000 cases of moveable type, and teaches graphic design and typography at Pace University and the Pratt Institute. 

Tickets are $3, reserve one here.