Letterpress Day - 9/18

I’ve just started a Facebook Group to promote September 18 (9/18) as an Annual Letterpress Appreciation Day!

Come join the group!

Print exchanges, letterpress pilgrimages, wayzgeese, etc!

Cheers!
peter

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Out of curiosity, where did you come up with the September 18 date? Does that have any special significance at all in the world of letterpress, or did you simply pull that out of thin air?

Henry Lewis Bullen was born on that date in 1857.

n/a

Type high is .918”

;-)

It’s also the birthday of Dave Seat traveling Linotype-Monotype-Ludlow mechanic.
http://www.hotmetalservices.com/

Hi Peter,

What is the name of the group? I searched Facebook for “Annual Letterpress Appreciation Day” but couldn’t find it.

Barbara

Never mind — I found it! “Letterpress Appreciation Day - 9/18”

Hi Peter! A link would be helpful. Have you posted it to the Letterpress Group on Facebook as well? -Jenny

n/a

Make that Anglo-American Letterpress Appreciation Day: . 918” type-height is NOT universal.

Make that American Letterpress Appreciation Day as 9/18 in Britain wouldn’t be a real date.

All celebrations are obligatory, whether the date format is appropriate or not ;-)

P

I consider myself obligated. I’ll celebrate at 9.18 am, every day.

In many countries in Europe typesetters and printers have a day to celebrate early in January. This tradition goes back several centuries, on the occasion they would print a broadsheet on paper supplied by their employers, and sell the broadsheets in the street, with the money thus made, they drank and ate. These prints are collectors items, and quite rare these days. Wouldn’t it be an idea to base your celebration day on something like this, I’m convinced that the early American printers (many originally from Europe) had something similar.

Peter

No problem whatsoever with the date or whatever. Yeah, let’s celebrate letterpress for whatever.

Problem I have is the clique-like nature of Facebook where the critical word is frowned upon, for as you know, it’s not nice to not be positive, or to have independent thought.

Gerald

Well, in the US, there already is an International Printing Week in early January, but I suspect it is as international as the World Series. It has long been sponsored by the industry group PIA, Printing Industries of America, and the time is, as I understood it, centered on Ben Franklin’s birthday.
With the continuing decline of offset printing, the local PIA affiliate changed its name to Visual Media Alliance Board, so web designers could be pulled into the dues and healthplan pools. It may not be long before the last printers left are letterpress printers. So maybe we should just take back International Printing Week from the paperless. Don’t expect a flood of us on Facebook though.

Wow. Visual Media Alliance Board, eh?
George Orwell would be proud.
;-)

9:18 everyday will be fine, of course!

As far as Facebook goes, the group is really just bait to get people to check out the real thing.

The description includes a link to the “.918 origins” thread here on Briarpress.org!

thanks all for the valued input.
I do like the idea of having a Letterpress Day…

Maybe St Bart would be as good as any.
or St Johannes G?