A fire extinguisher came standard. Why? Because the Xerox 914 copier at The Printing Museum was so revolutionary it was prone to overheating. Welcome to a place where the history of printing unfolds. Here at The Printing Museum, we celebrate the evolution of the written word.
The Printing Museum was founded in 1979. Raoul Beasley, Vernon P. Hearn, Don Piercy, and J. V. Burnham were the founders. These four printers wanted to preserve their collections. They also wanted to share them with the community. The museum officially opened in 1982. Dr. Hans Halaby, director of the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz, Germany, cut the ribbon. In 2012, the Museum rebranded as The Printing Museum.
Let’s step back in time. Imagine monks spending countless hours hand-copying texts. Then, Johannes Gutenberg invented his printing press around 1452. Before his invention, monks would sit for days, weeks, months and years reprinting copies of the Bible and other books by hand. Using his press, Gutenberg reproduced 180 identical copies of the Bible in two years. He printed them one page at a time. The Printing Museum has a replica of the Gutenberg Press.
The Printing Museum displays a real 1813 Columbian Press. George Clymer of Philadelphia invented it. It is made of cast iron. The weight of the iron, along with levers and counterweights, made it easier to print. It allowed for a cleaner impression with less force and more speed. But the cast iron construction and weight of this press made it less attainable and harder to transport than its wood competition.
Observe the 1829 Albion Press. It was invented in London. This press is a smaller, more portable version of a cast iron printing press. It’s considered the first printing press in Texas.
Consider the impact of the 1885 Linotype Machine. It added the ability to print an entire line of type with the stroke of a key. Before this, newspaper publishers were almost entirely printed weekly or monthly because every character had to be set by hand. The Linotype Machine made it significantly easier and more efficient to print large blocks of text. It ushered in the era of the daily newspaper. Thomas Edison called it “the eight wonder of the world”.
The Printing Museum isn’t just about presses. It also features a 16th Century Gregorian Chant Book. Its huge size makes you wonder how long it took to print.
Look at the Papyrus Fragment from 300-350 and a Replica of The Rosetta Stone from 196. The Printing Museum has several original and reproduction items on display that precede printing presses by over 1,000 years.
Examine the Treasury Notes from The Republic of Texas. Get a close-up look at $10, $20, and $50 Treasury Notes. They’re from Texas’ days as a Republic in the 1830s and 1840s. Maybe they were printed on an Albion Press.
The Printing Museum also features an 1893 Hammond Typewriter. It anchors a fantastic collection of vintage typewriters.
The Printing Museum shows how printing has shaped our world. It reminds us of the power and beauty of the printed word. It shows the art, creativity, and business of printing. From Gutenberg’s press to the digital age, printing continues to evolve. The story of printing is far from over.