Letterpress: Local Printing Groups

Want to get together with hobby printers in your local area? Check out the listings on this page and see if there's anyone nearby. I will only list groups that have contacted me and provided information about themselves. Please send an e-mail to AAPA's webmaster, Dave Tribby, at website@AAPAinfo.org if you want your group listed.

You can look at ``Other Amateur Journalism Groups'' for information on national organizations.

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American Printing History Association Local Chapters

The APHA has a number of local chapters, including

Chesapeake Inland (Chicago) New England

New York Northern California Southern California

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British Printing Society Branches

The British Printing Society has a number of local branches, including

Dorset Essex Lincolnshire and District London Maidenhead (and Thames Valley)

Overseas Scottish Shropshire South Wales Surrey and Sussex

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GRIPHOG

Greater Richmond Itinerant Printers Historical and Occasional Gathering

Contact: Dave Clinger; e-mail: dclinger@iopener.net; P.O. Box 5013, Richmond VA 23220; Phone 804-644-7101, fax 804-780-1950.

GRIPHOG is an informal network with occasional meetings and a periodic newsletter called Galley Proof. Geographically, it covers most of the state of Virginia. Members include letterpress printers and bookbinders. Shop, located in historic building in downtown Richmond near State Capitol, includes Washington handpress, Vandercook, platen presses, Monotype composition caster and access to Linotype. Members share expertise and tall tales and hope to set up exhibits and museum.

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Leather Apron Guild

International Printing Museum
315 W. Torrance Blvd., Carson, CA 90745; e-mail mail@printmuseum.org; phone: 310-515-7166

The Leather Apron Guild is a group of volunteers who meet on Saturdays at the Museum to work on a variety of projects and print on presses in the Museum's collection.

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Letterpress Guild of New England

Contact Address: P.O. Box 380788 Cambridge, MA 02238-0788

The Letterpress Guild of New England is a regional organization devoted to the preservation and dissemination of the knowledge and materials of letterpress printing. The Guild is comprised of professional and hobby printers, binders and others keenly interested in the art and craft of the art preservative. The Guild attempts to meet monthly and also sponsors workshops at various times in any number of primary and ancillary disciplines. A newsletter is produced which will apprise those interested in upcoming events. There is also a Journal which is produced annually. Dues are $20 which can be posted to the above. There are no membership requirements.

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The Michigan Letterpress Guild

Contact: Joe Warren; e-mail: letterpressions@sbcglobal.net

We meet once a quarter on Saturday afternoon. Geographically we cover most of the lower half of Michigan's lower penensula. Meetings usually consist of some show and tell, how to, and equipment leads.

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North Bay Letterpress Arts

Contact: 925d South Gravenstein Highway, Sebastopol, CA; e-mail: info@northbayletterpressarts.org; Phone: 707-823-6152

North Bay Letterpress Arts exists to teach and practice letterpress printing. Located in Sebastopol, California.

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Saint Louis Letterpress Society

Contact: Mike & Patty Anton, 5121 South Kingshighway, St. Louis, MO 63109; phone 314-481-1677

The St. Louis Letterpress Society, established in 1989, meets quarterly for a potluck and informal program or activity. It is open to and attended by anyone interested in either letterpress printing or any affiliated book art.

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San Jose Printers' Guild

Contact Address: 1650 Senter Road, San Jose, CA 95112; e-mail: sjprintguild@pacbell.net

The Printers' Guild usually meets on the Kelley Park museum grounds at 10:00 am on the second Saturday of each month. We learn from each other, share personal work, talk shop, and plan printing projects for museum events. Guild members man the print shop on weekends to explain letterpress printing to visitors. No dues -- just informal fun with some nifty equipment.

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Syracuse, NY

Contact: Dave Norton; e-mail: dinorton@juno.com; phone 315-474-8338

A group of printers that meet for lunch once a month in Syracruse, NY. They welcome anyone who wants to join, especially beginners who could use some help. Meeting days and restaurants change from month to month.

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Westchester Chappel

Contact: Stephen Hirschberg; e-mail: shirschberg@pol.net

If you're a letterpress printer in the vicinity of Westchester, New York, seeking the support of other practitioners of the black art, consider membership in the Westchester Chappel. It is the oldest continuous local association of avocational letterpress printers. It was founded by J. Ben Lieberman, father the American Chappel movement, in 1960. The Chappel includes member presses from Rockland, New York City, Connecticut, and, yes, Westchester, as well as several presses that have relocated away from Westchester over the years. The group meets quarterly, rotating among the various presses, discussing letterpress stuff, showing off our ephemera, trying to figure out how we went right or wrong. There is an annual Wayzgoose at which there is appropriate merriment, and each press delivers its page of the group's annual letterpress calendar. There is no membership fee. You should be the proprietor of a press, and should be located within striking distance of Westchester.

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The .918 Club

Contact: Heritage Press Museum, 346 North Queen Street, Lancaster, PA 17602; e-mail info@918club.org

The .918 Club brings together the volunteers of the Heritage Center Museum to share ideas and suggestions concerning the educational demonstrations. They meet the 4th Wednesday of each month. Anyone interested in learning about letterpress printing or developing skills to become a volunteer in the Print Shop is welcome. Through regularly scheduled demonstrations in the Print Shop, they educate the public about the history of printing while providing a working job shop to fulfill the printing needs of our benefactors.