Artifact Archive: Wooden letterpress for the Petersburg Press

Wooden letterpress for the Petersburg Press, an early local newspaper which began printing in 1926. Wooden letterpress is sensitive to moisture and humidity, which must have been a challenge in our rainforest environment. We have trays of type from Hamilton, which became the largest wood type manufacturer, and R. Hoe & Co., which also made wood hand printing presses. The trays hold types of several fonts and sizes-for example for headlines or for posters. Each letter had to be set by hand. Wood has been in use for printing since at least 865 C.E. Donated by Polly Lee. Information and photos for this column are provided by the Clausen Memorial Museum.