Museum of Printing

Museum of Printing
Classic small printshop typebed setup
Museum of Printing is located in Massachusetts Essex County
Museum of Printing
Location within Massachusetts Essex County
Museum of Printing is located in Massachusetts
Museum of Printing
Location within Massachusetts
Museum of Printing is located in the United States
Museum of Printing
Location within the United States
Established1978
LocationHaverhill, Massachusetts, US
TypeHistory of technology
Executive director
Frank Romano
Websitewww.museumofprinting.org

The Museum of Printing (MoP), located in Haverhill, Massachusetts, is a museum dedicated to preserving the history of printing technologies and practices, the graphic arts, and their role in the development of culture and literacy.

History

In 1978, a group of New England printers and publishers mobilized to preserve hot metal typesetting equipment which was being replaced by the Boston Globe newspaper. For the first 18 years, the growing collection was dispersed in various warehouses and spaces inaccessible to the public. In 1997, some of the collection was first opened to view in space formerly occupied by the Textile Museum in North Andover, Massachusetts. In 2016, Rochester Institute of Technology Professor Emeritus Frank Romano acquired and donated a former electrical supplies building in Haverhill, Massachusetts to house the museum.

The core of the collection was contributed by Romano, who spent his career in the development of the modern printing business. He contributed 6,000 books from his personal library, plus many classic machines, including early Macintosh desktop publishing computers contributed by Steve Jobs.

The typewriter collection has been the setting and facilitator of at least one successful marriage proposal, in 2020.

Collection

The displays include a number of historic machines and related artifacts:

There is an extensive library of 7,000 books, periodicals, and media related to the history of paper and printing.

Programs

Operation of classic printing equipment is demonstrated, as well as exhibitions and hands-on workshops by artists who use printing technologies. In 2018, the museum celebrated a "QWERTY" Festival, featuring typewriters and their history and culture.

There are art galleries, meeting spaces, and a museum store on premises. The store offers books, souvenirs, and classic printing artifacts.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "About the Museum of Printing". Museum of Printing. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Sullivan, James (March 17, 2017). "A place in Haverhill to hold the presses". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Romano, Frank (July 9, 2019). "An introduction to the Museum of Printing, Haverhill, Massachusetts". Association of European Printing Museums. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  4. ↑ Sorensen, Meghan (August 28, 2020). "'Print is alive, and so is love:' How the old art of typography led to happily ever after". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
  5. ↑ "The Museum Collection". Museum of Printing. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Libraries". Museum of Printing. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  7. ↑ "News and Events". Museum of Printing. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  8. ↑ Hughes, Morgan (July 26, 2018). "Q-W-E-R-T-Y: Discover its origins at printing museum". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 2, 2022.

42°46′22.01″N 71°7′15.31″W / 42.7727806°N 71.1209194°W / 42.7727806; -71.1209194