Next Up: Belleview Park March 23 & Spectra Gallery

If you missed us at Arvade Center, come see us at the Spring Market in Belleview Park this coming Saturday, 10-2pm. And see our work on display the rest of March at Spectra Gallery (1836 S Broadway). If you haven’t been to Spectra and seen its immersive display, GO!

And here’s what you missed at Print Jam! Lots of people, lots of printing - Bryan Dahlberg on a mini etching press, LEGO (tm) printing conceived of by Dave Laskowski II and printed on an Adana by Jason Wedekind, Tom Parson on another Adana, and Marc Silberman on a Vandecook proof press. And note the mini press in a box made by Bryan too!

For more info, get in touch: info@letterpressdepot.com, 720-480-5358. And see you at the Spring Market!

Last year’s Spring Market

What a Year! Thanks for being part of it!

We have one more opportunity for those who would like to help us get heat in our 1915 railroad depot aka the Letterpress Depot. We are about to receive a generous check which we would like to use to match all donations received the rest of this month. (We already matched all the Colorado Gives donations). You can donate on our website or mail a check to us at Box 798, Englewood, CO 80151. For those who’ve already given/opened our emails/visited our website. Thank You!

2023 was a busy year (very hard to believe it’s almost over).

We printed at:

*5 schools

*5 fairs/events

*3 outdoor markets

* 2 Neighbor Nights at local parks

*2 private workshops

*1 block party

At the Depot, we completed:

*Replacement of more rotten structural beams

*Remediation of lead paint

*Removal of damaged plaster

*Installation of brick walkways

*Planting of trees and perennials

*Installation of a light pole for future electricity (and got the electrician to finally order parts he originally said he did over a year ago)

*  Receipt of 3 proposals for a heat transfer system.

We received printing donations & deals:

*Presses, rare wood type, useful metal type and type cases from Joanne Martin

* Type and more from Louise Padden/Evert Brown, David Ashley, Lexi O’Neill and Lonnie Peterson

*Adana presses used at all our outdoor events

Thank you for all you did to make this a busy year

For more information or to volunteer, please email us or call/text 720-480-5358. Follow our website, facebook, Instagram and X posts.

Busy days inside and out

Inside the Depot…bracing up the ceiling and rafters to repair structural rot

Outside the Depot…printing a Skate Board poster designed by Dave Lasjowski II at Cushing Park to celebrate its Skate Park. Part of Englewood’s Neighborhood Nights.

Print with us August 5, 10am-2pm, Englewood Civic Center. And at Englewood Block Party August 26, 4pm-8pm, 3400 S. Broadway. Donations more than welcome anytime to help the work that needs to be done. One way to donate: Colorado Gives. Click here. With thanks!

"The most popular booth at the Festival"

And it sure felt like it!

Lettepress Depot printers had a great time meeting our Englewood neighbors at the Englewood Spring Festival — and showing off our fire engine red Adana presses.

Come print with us next at Celebrate Englewood, May 6 at Civic Center.

Tick tick tick four days until Colorado Gives ends on Dec. 6

We so appreciate everyone who has given so far, either through Colorado Gives or Facebook. And as you can imagine with the cost of construction these days, more is always welcome! We will be counting down the days here. A beautful and intriguing typeface to share in appreciation. Click on ANY image to donate.

William H. Page No. 171, Hamilton No. 299, printed by Tom Parson

THANK YOU

Wayzgoose this Saturday, October 1, 10:30-2!

What’s a Wayzgoose you ask? There are no fowl involved, though back in the day this printers entertainment may have included a goose, when the master printer threw a feast for his workers.

Photo by Jean Ange via Birdshare

As the geese fly south for the winter, the Letterpress Depot and the Rocky Mountain Letterpress Society (aka The Wrong Fonts) will have our own modern Wayzgoose. Instead of a goose, we will offer a swap meet/sale of letterpress printing materials & equipment, light lunch & refreshments, an open tour of the continuing historic rehabilitation construction of the Depot building and an intro to our letterpress printshop and museum collection. Please join in the inky fun, October 1, 10:30 - 2 pm.

We’re located at 3098 South Galapago, at Galapago & Dartmouth in Englewood. If you have any questions, email us at englewooddepot@gmail.com or call 720-480-5358. And if you want more on the interesting etymology of Wayzgoose, check out this fun post on the Word Wide Web.

#meetapressMonday Come see us in person Saturday 3.26

Open Studio Tour Saturday 10-4 as part of Mo’Print, the Month of print. Come see our presses, with many in action!

Here are just some of the presses you will see - more will be shared other days this week!

Gordon Franklin press - note the brass side arms!

Gordon Franklin platen, new style 10x15  ~1871

The Gordon Franklin, called “the single most famous and influential jobbing press of the nineteenth century” was invented by George Phineas Gordon, who is celebrated as having developed the basic design of the most popular printing press ever. He named this model the  Franklin because Gordon, a spiritualist, said that Ben Franklin had described it to him in a dream. Our model is a Gordon’s brass side-arm “new style”, that started to be manufactured in 1871 when the patent on the older version was expiring.

Jones Gordon  Press ~1890

Manufactured by John M. Jones. Jones, who first built presses for George Phineas Gordon, started building them on his own when Gordon’s patents expired.

C&P 10x15 at the start of a print run

by Chandler & Price -All these built on the model designed by George Phineas Gordon

7x11, old style   1898-910x15 old style  1902

8x12 new style ~1930

Bryan Dahlberg, Doug Sorenson and Tom Parson huddle around the Colt’s Armory Press

Colts Armory platen (on loan from Doug Sorenson) ~1887

The name given after 1887 to Merrit Gally’s Universal press, which he’d introduced in 1869. The former minister held more than 500 patents. John Thomson, who hated Gally from the first time he heard him preach as a child, ended up taking over manufacture of the press in a high noon standoff worthy of the Colt’s name. For more details of this history see https://bit.ly/3D4BXIy

Old Reliable platen press 8x12    1888

The Old Reliable was manufactured for just one year  by H.H. Thorpe (Cleveland Type Foundry). James Thorpe held many other platen press patents, which he later sold to Chandler and Price.  Used by hobby printer Jim Grisenti, it was donated to the Depot by Jim Fitzgerald in memory of printer Wimpy Miller.

Schniedewend & Lee Old Style platen  Manufactured between 1884-93

This press also was built on the foundations laid by George Phineas Gordon. The Schniedewend company also built the Reliance A iron hand press on our east wall.

Damon-Peets platen, new style 9x12 (on loan from Doug Sorenson) ~1893

Calling itself the “latest improved Gordon,”whose “style supersedes all other presses” and which can print 2,000 sheets an hour, it was made by Damon & Peets of New York.

Next up: the Depot’s smaller presses…stay tuned! Come see them all March 26, Open Studio 10-4

A new old press, at home at the Depot

One of the Letterpress Depot’s most recent acquisitions – a Jones Gordon press, generously donated (along with other goodies) by Stacey Steers, David Brunel and Nena Restrepo-Gil of Boulder. THANK YOU!

After cleaning and oiling the press, Tom Parson got it rolling

A label on it says it was from “Chicago Newspaper Union. ” The donors got it a few decades ago from the weekly Dongola, Illinois, Tri-County Record, Its rollers were still wrapped in a six page issue dated June 15, 2000, which has an ad for “Does-the-Job Printing.”  A functional and historic addition to our printing museum collection! 

The press was manufactured between 1890-1903 in Palmyra, New York by John M. Jones. Jones made presses for George Phineas Gordon, who is celebrated as having developed the basic design of the most common printing press ever, the Gordon Letterpress. As Gordon’s patents expired, others such as Jones produced their own versions of his innovative machines.

The press has a treadle and several creative and practical additions to the original Gordon platen press. It has an easier new way to remove the chase, roller lifters so when you’re inking the press the ink doesn’t get on the form, and hand dial that adjusts the pressure—even while in the midst of printing - so you don’t have to open the packing to make small adjustments to improve the impression. And much more. The press is missing the sophisticated upper disk ink roller system noted in the ad, but has a detached small New Century inker.

Interestingly, Jones also invented one of the first typewriters or, as he called it, “Domestic Printing Machines”. His was only the third to reach manufacture—but the factory burned down after 130 had been fully or partially assembled.

Getting inky for the Depot

♻️Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Board member Elanor Harris is offering limited quantities of vintage oil base inks, 20 years young and in excellent condition! Over 45 Pantone colors available (and a small selection of process colors) all hand repacked into 8oz cans. Labels note the ink manufacturer from the original can. A few of the holiday colors now available:

A portion of your purchase will be donated to the Depot. For information on orderng go to https://tinyurl.com/x8zrjj8k

Elanor and Victoria mixing it up at the Depot

Year End News...Plus a matching donation to start 2020!

A year-end pledge of $2,000 is helping us kick off a continuing campaign for construction in 2020. Give through this website or ColoradoGives.org/letterpressdepot.

The Depot was featured three times on Channel 7 news, as part of its promotion of Colorado Gives Day.

We had a very productive December. We engaged with our old and new supporters through Colorado Gives Day, through two funding page campaigns on Facebook, and directly by mail and our website. 

THANK YOU!

We met our initial goal to raise our share needed for a grant awarded by the Colorado State Historical Fund for construction documents (architectural and engineering drawings) for the depot. $5,860.33 donated by sixty-seven members of our community (plus a Colorado Gives incentive donation from Community First Foundation) will carry us into the new year. Once we get the architectural documents finished, then it will be the moment for heat! lights! plumbing! and rehabilitation of the interior. A big moment indeed.

Happy New Year.

Come celebrate 2020 with your suggestions, talents, volunteer efforts, donations.

Recurring monthly or annual donations can be scheduled any time at ColoradoGives.org. One-time contributions are also welcome there or on our website or by direct mail to the Letterpress Depot, PO Box 798, Englewood CO 80151. We are a 501 (c)3 nonprofit community resource.

Sheridan comes to Englewood (again)

In 1994, the Depot was moved from Sheridan to its current location. And this past Saturday, Sheridan came to the Depot for a VIP event to honor those who worked so hard on Sheridan Celebrates. Depot executive director Tom Parson printed for the crowd, along with board members Kim Morski, Jason Wedekind and Patti Parson. Organizer Jean Ray was there, along with Sheridan Mayor Dallas Hall, City Council members Tara Beiter-Fluhr and Sally Daigle and other community supporters. They all got to hear Sheridan idol Michael Cox sing. He will be singing again (and Tom printing again) at Sheridan Celebrates, September 24. (See http://www.letterpressdepot.com/events/.)

Getting to know us...

The Depot welcomes a host of new faces, experiences, and officers to our board. All of those involved are focused on community, art, design, history or printing.

Talking, planning, eating & more planning

Peter Bergman, an Assistant Professor of Communication Design at MSU Denver, who was been with the Depot project since the start, is our new president. Jason Wedekind, a stalwart board member and principal of Genghis Kern Design and Letterpress has taken on the role of Vice President. Brad Hammond, a Certified fraud examiner at CBIZ HMH, LLC, is our new treasurer. Other new board members include; Alexandra Jimenez, program director at the Platte Forum; Kim Morski, printmaker and artist book maker; Mike Ruberto, a Professor in the Multimedia Graphic Design department at Front Range Community College; Marc Silberman, a printer with strong philatelic bent; and Ian Van Mater, a MAC expert at Apple.

Staying with us are Alicita Rodriguez, Wilson Thomas, executive director Tom Parson and secretary Patti Parson.

We are forever grateful to those board members who are leaving – Lonnie Smith, David Ashley, Karen Jones and Jimi Bernath – for all the support they have provided and continue to do so.    

SPRING AT THE DEPOT

Englewood Depot News, May 20, 2014

It’s been a long winter, uncertain weather, recurring snow, but now it is May and our activities spring to life. Many things to catch up, but first – a letterpress show.

Come see posters by 20 of the world’s best letterpress printers, all designed especially for the Depot. Printers from New Mexico to Australia, from Oregon to Brazil, and of course from Colorado, have created some spectacular examples of what can be done on a letterpress. This Depot Poster show will be held June 6 at the BookBar at 4280 Tennyson. (Depot members/supporters viewing at 5 pm; BookBar is open for First Friday Art at 6 - more details soon.) A limited quantity of the posters will be offered for sale. All donation proceeds, of course, to the Depot. For those of you who already have ordered work from this letterpress portfolio, you can pick them up at the event. Board member Jason Wedekind and Diane Tomasso were masterminds behind this project. Amazing support from the amazing letterpress community!

Posters of this portfolio project are also on exhibit at the Hamilton Wood Type Museum in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, through the annual Wayzgoose of the Amalgamated Printers Association, June 13-17!

Book arts workshops. Thanks to board member Peter Bergman of Metropolitan State University of Denver, we are making plans for a variety of workshops. As construction for the Depot is just beginning, we will offer these events at satellite locations. Bonus: payment for any workshop or class will give you a basic membership; subsequent workshops in the same year are 10% off for all members. I will send out an email once we have dates, but also check out our website www.letterpressdepot.com for news and events, as well as more details on membership.

Our website is up! 
www.letterpressdepot.com 

Type and equipment donations! The Letterpress Depot has been the recipient of, quite literally, tons of type and presses. This coming weekend we will be moving Glenn Moore’s father’s MECA printshop into a truck storage trailer, until our building is ready. Highlights of this historic collection include a Vandercook SP-15 proof press, a pantograph router-engraver which might be used for making wood type, other equipment for preparation and mounting of printing blocks, and over 20 cabinets of excellent type. If you can help with some heavy lifting (or cheerleading) this weekend or in the future, please let me know. Thanks to Wilson Thomas for helping with logistics of the move. Food and drink for all those who come join us! Call or email me for details.

We also have received generous donations of equipment and type from Dave Clark and Brett Lareau. So when we can get the 4th foundation wall up in the Depot and an access ramp built, we are ready to roll.

Progress for the old depot. Design and construction plans for the lower level foundation wall and access ramp, and everything else needed on the building, are tied to our agreement with the City of Englewood for a preservation easement on the historic building. The Colorado Historical Foundation has accepted our proposal for the easement, with legal negotiations and details to be approved before actual construction can begin. CHF has been very supportive but there have been hurdles – governmental, administrative, legal, financial, and just plain annoying – imagine: paperwork as a printer's way of life!

Roof repairs this week; meetings with our architects, plumbing contractor, a structural engineer, and others with consultation about concrete work, landscaping, modifications for ADA access, preparation for funding possibilities for historic rehabilitation – we expect to be ready once the easement is set. One special find in the course of all the moving paper: we have located the architectural drawings of the foundation, the designs and plans when the building was relocated in 1994! Thanks to City Engineer Dave Henderson and our architect Kathy Lingo – those missing details now inform our design work as well as our history of the Englewood Depot as it is transformed into a living letterpress museum.

Volunteer projects! We need your help:

• moving equipment (come get muscles!)

• ideas and participation in developing workshops, program ideas, publications (just imagine!)

• gardening, weeding, landscaping, grounds-keeping (It's spring, come play in the dirt!)

• website, calendar and blog entries (help us post your activities for the depot community!)

• inventory, assess, repair donated equipment and type (get ready for our use and our museum!)

• make it new, make it your own, let us know how!

Thanks to board member Karen Jones, we now have postcards to publicize the Depot.
Let us know suggestions to help us use the cards, to call attention to our projects.

All in the community! As you can see, our board has been busy - meeting monthly, plotting and planning. Many of our board members and supporters, Karen Jones, myself, Ray Tomasso, David Ashley, have collaborated with other book arts groups in demonstrations, participating in the recent Gathering of the Guilds and with workshops presented by the Book Arts League. We are planning participation (with the Calligraphers Guild, the Guild of Book Workers, and the Book Arts League) at the 30th Rocky Mountain Book and Paper Fair, Friday and Saturday, August 1-2 at the Denver Merchandise Mart.

We will be in touch. Let us hear from you as well - by email (Englewooddepot@gmail.com), phone (720-480-5358), or regular mail to the Depot, Box 798, Englewood, CO 80151.

Tom Parson

for the Englewood Letterpress Depot