ANNIVERSARY
Penrith Museum of Printing turns 20 Today, the Penrith Museum of Printing is a not for profit organisation dedicated to the preservation of letterpress printing and houses a variety of operational printing items from the past
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he Penrith Museum of Printing has turned 20 years of age in June, celebrating its growth from being a very small museum to becoming one of the only working print museums in Australia. Established in Penrith NSW, the museum is based on a typical 1940s printing house and holds a collection of printing machinery and equipment ranging from mid 1840s to the 1970s. Run by a team of volunteers, including Bob Lockley, former group director of print and distribution at Fairfax, the museum was born out of the closure of a local newspaper, The Nepean Times, founded in the 1880s. The story of the museum begins with Alan Connell, the founder of the museum, who had a desire back in 1987 to develop a ‘working museum’ of letterpress printing machinery and equipment. He started collecting items obtained primarily from The Penrith Nepean Times Newspaper, as well as printing establishments from throughout NSW.
Connell laboured for many years as he wanted to create this museum that would be capable of showcasing fully operational printing equipment for present and future generations. “After The Nepean Times plant closed down, the equipment was all found rusting away and Alan approached the owners about resurrecting that equipment,” Lockley said. Connell then continued collecting other print items from around Australia, many of which were donated by present and or past printing establishments. But many years had to pass before Connell’s dream was able to be fully realised via a Commonwealth Government Federation Fund Grant. This grant funded the building, which houses the equipment. The Penrith Museum of Printing was officially opened on 2 June, 2001. Today, the Penrith Museum of Printing is a not for profit organisation dedicated to the preservation of letterpress printing. Its important collection displays the Australian letterpress printing heritage
to the visitor, with original copy being turned into lead based lines of type utilising the linotype machine and/or handsetting lines by compositors, through to the print production stage by machinists on small, and or large printing presses. “Our collections – from the 1940s, ‘50s, and ‘60s – are all operational in the museum. In addition, we have a very extensive library and enthusiastic volunteers that ensure it all functions,” Lockley said. “We conduct tours for visitors of any age and run courses including letterpress printing and setting type by hand. “With regards to keeping the equipment running, there are several volunteers that are handy. “Because many of these machines are old, we can’t source much of their parts anymore if they malfunction, so we either need to have parts made or we get lucky and find another piece of equipment that we’re able to cannibalise parts from. “That’s our point of difference from other static museums.”
An intertype machine is one of the many other kits that is in working order
The Columbian Press is one of the oldest working newspaper presses in Australia
The Albion press that was originally used by Angus & Coote in Sydney as a proofing press
26 | AUSTRALIAN PRINTER SEPTEMBER 2021
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