Museum of Printing#Collection

{{Short description|Graphic arts museum in Haverhill, MA, US since 1978}}

{{Infobox museum

| name = Museum of Printing

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| image = File:Print forme.jpg

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| caption = Classic small printshop typebed setup

| map_type = Massachusetts Essex County#Massachusetts#USA

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| established = 1978

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| location = Haverhill, Massachusetts, US

| type = History of technology

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| executive_director = Frank Romano

| leader_type = Chairman/Executive Directo

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| website = {{URL|www.museumofprinting.org}}

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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.{{cite web |title=About the Museum of Printing |url=https://museumofprinting.org/about-mop/ |website=Museum of Printing |access-date=2022-02-28}}

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.{{cite web |last1=Romano |first1=Frank |title=An introduction to the Museum of Printing, Haverhill, Massachusetts |url=https://www.aepm.eu/publications/focus-on-printing-museums/an-introduction-to-the-museum-of-printing-haverhill-massachusetts/ |website=Association of European Printing Museums |access-date=2022-03-02 |date=July 9, 2019}} 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.{{cite web |last1=Sullivan |first1=James |title=A place in Haverhill to hold the presses |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/north/2017/03/17/plenty-page-through-museum-printing/HJmtuABqbggpsFPJYlJZfM/story.html?|website=The Boston Globe |access-date=2022-03-02 |date=March 17, 2017}}

The typewriter collection has been the setting and facilitator of at least one successful marriage proposal, in 2020.{{cite web |last1=Sorensen |first1=Meghan |title='Print is alive, and so is love:' How the old art of typography led to happily ever after |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/08/27/metro/print-is-alive-so-is-love-how-old-art-typography-led-happily-ever-after/? |website=The Boston Globe |access-date=2022-03-02 |date=August 28, 2020}}

Collection

The displays include a number of historic machines and related artifacts:{{cite web |title=The Museum Collection |url=https://museumofprinting.org/collection/ |website=Museum of Printing |access-date=2022-02-28}}

Early Gutenberg-style hand-powered printing presses, progressing to small hand-operated presses used in the early 20th century
Linotype "hot metal" typecasting machine
Xerox 914 photocopier, mimeographs, spirit duplicators, and blueprint copiers
Typewriters, including composing typewriters such as the IBM Selectric Composer
A complex mechanical Chinese typewriter with thousands of characters
Photolithography and hand-engraving equipment
Bindery, finishing, and mailing equipment
A full-size drum scanner
Phototypesetters (claimed to be the largest collection in the world)
Desktop publishing setups such as the original Apple Macintosh and Laserwriter printer
Various data storage media used with printing, such as magnetic tape, floppy disks, and specialized optical cartridges
Many different metal, optical, digital, and wood typefonts, including over 2500 wooden display fonts

There is an extensive library of 7,000 books, periodicals, and media related to the history of paper and printing.{{cite web |title=Libraries |url=https://museumofprinting.org/libraries/ |website=Museum of Printing |access-date=2022-02-28}}

Programs

Operation of classic printing equipment is demonstrated, as well as exhibitions and hands-on workshops by artists who use printing technologies.{{cite web |title=News and Events |url=https://museumofprinting.org/news-and-events/ |website=Museum of Printing |access-date=2022-02-28}} In 2018, the museum celebrated a "QWERTY" Festival, featuring typewriters and their history and culture.{{cite web |last1=Hughes |first1=Morgan |title=Q-W-E-R-T-Y: Discover its origins at printing museum |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/globelocal/2018/07/26/you-know-where-came-from/APESFh0mkR60UNbdjbwfnK/story.html? |website=The Boston Globe |access-date=2022-03-02 |date=July 26, 2018}}

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