Museum News
This page is powered by the Textpattern content management system.
The Wood Engravings of Anna Hogan
Staff
November 1 through March 15
The Museum of Printing is proud to present selections from the Hogan Collection in an exhibition of fine wood engravings and prints by local artist Anna Hogan. Ms. Hogan works from her own sketches and life drawings to create illustrations of nature and local scenes. The engravings and monochrome letterpress prints on display are drawn from a 63-year body of the artist’s work and are representative of her vision and technique. They include botanical renderings, depictions of birds, seascapes, and naturalistic scenes of various Massachusetts locations.
Anna Hogan is a Lawrence native whose interest in wood engraving began in 1946. She is inspired by noted wood engraver and printmaker Clare Leighton (1899–1989) and her work has been in many exhibitions. The exhibit at the Museum of Printing represents the first extensive showing of her work.
Steamroller printing in North Andover
Frank Romano
North Andover was host to the 6th Annual Printing Arts Fair at the Museum of Printing on Massachusetts Avenue. Over 500 people attended on Father’s Day to visit the 24 exhibitors, demonstrations of papermaking and printing, and a very special demonstration of printing by steamroller.
Andover residents carved creative letters in one-foot square linoleum tiles. Emily Trespas, Fran McCormick, Joan Ellis, Sarah Bardo, Jennie Cline, Katie Graber, Joanna Ho, and Sally Abugov of Andover, among others, then inked the tiles, placed paper over them, and 
Dan Abugov ran a steamroller provided by J.W.Watson Jr. Paving Company of Andover over them. The result was a 7-foot by 3-foot print, one of the largest ever printed.
Crowds cheered as the paper was lifted from the tiles. For over 550 years, printing was done with raised images, ink, and pressure in printing presses. Today, the letterpress craft is continued by hobbyists and artists, and the Museum of Printing is one of the last three museums that preserve this ancient art.
Photos by Gary Bemis.
Take a closer look at our steamroller print >
There’s a whole gallery of pictures of the Printing Arts Fair >
The Museum Store is Open!
Bill Whitley
The Museum has set aside a room with surplus type, equipment, and supplies for sale, to benefit our ongoing activities, largely thanks to the tireless efforts of John Barrett, shown here talking with a potential customer. John has organized the Museum Store along the lines of his own store, (“Letterpress Things”) in Chicopee, Mass.
There is type in drawers and galleys, cases and racks; also furniture, spacing materials & slug cutters, ink, paper drills and cutters, and book presses (to name a few things). John has spent many long hours moving and organizing type and supplies, so it’s going to be easy to find what you’re looking for. (Yes, you get the benefit of John’s obsessive-compulsive tendencies!)
The self-service store is open whenever the Museum is open, pricing is very reasonable, and all sales benefit the Museum.
Type & Equipment Extravaganza was a success
Bill Whitley
The Type Sale Extravaganza on Oct. 31st – Nov.1st was a success – as evidenced by the happy folks shown here, carrying away some more wood type. For some reason we had more customers on Friday than Saturday, even though Friday was Halloween. A steady stream of enthusiastic printers and “going-to-be” printers spent time going through hundreds of cases and gallies to find treasures in wood and lead type. Cuts, furniture, tools, and even some presses made their way to new homes across New England.
If you couldn’t make it that weekend, or would like to come back for more, we still have the rooms set up; so any time the Museum is open, drop on by and see if there is something you can’t live without. We still have a couple of presses, some small cutters, and a large selection of type at $2 per pound – (though there is some lead type reasonably priced by the case or galley). Come on down, and help us get the lead out.
