... If You Can’t Keep the Roof from Leaking.

This broadside did double duty as a fundraiser for the Museum of Printing in Andover, MA (now in Haverhill, MA), and as a keepsake given to all attendees at the American Printing History Association's national conference which was held at Columbia University in October, 2008.

The quote from Gardner LePoer, Executive Director of The Museum of Printing captured the essence of the APHA conference theme, "Saving the History of Printing." We were on our way to Portland, Maine, to buy our Washington #5 iron hand press and stopped at the museum. Gardner noticed we were asking about 10 times as many questions as a normal visitor would and gave us the grand tour, even including the attic and basement.

Jill arranged a variety of wood type characters from our collection to illustrate the quote. The Y made from a V and an !, the use of the $ and ¢ signs, and the o with the circumflex in the word "roof" are notable typographic details.

The background stock was hand rolled in gold ink and the type was inked in black on the press with handrolled copper accents.

. . .

PRODUCTION NOTES :

PREFACE : Jill's arrangement from Lead Graffiti's orphaned wood type collection took about 6 hours and Ray spent another 8 hours bringing everything to the same height and locking up the layout.

EDITION : limited edition of 150 prints

SIZE : 14" x 22"

TYPOGRAPHY : handset in Onyx 48 point

PRINTING : via letterpress in 3 press runs (hand inked background, large text, small text) on acid-free, American Masters White with deckle edges at the top and bottom. Printed on a Vandercook Universal III.