The Austin Peay State University Department of Art will benefit from the donation of an additional printing press.
The University now has the Chandler and Price printing press, as well as three cabinets of pristine metal type, typesetting equipment and a selection of printed ephemeral works.
The press was donated by Martha Goldsmith, whose late husband, Arthur Goldsmith, is the namesake of the Goldsmith Press and Rare Type Collection, an entity within the APSU Department of Art and the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts.
“Arthur enjoyed playing around with the type,” Martha Goldsmith said. “He liked to collect fine print books and study the type.”
| [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv69kB_e9KY[/youtube] |
| A great mini-documentary on the printing process, and the mindset behind it. |
She said she was glad to see the Chandler and Price printing press and typesetting equipment go to a new home that would appreciate the value to arts education and to the production of finely printed artifacts.
“I wanted the press to go to a place where there would be some interest, where people would enjoy them,” Martha Goldsmith said.
The donation will be a welcomed addition to the existing collection of type cases and printing presses that make up the Goldsmith Press and Rare Type Collection at APSU.
The Goldsmith Press is a unique letterpress facility that includes thousands of hand-carved wood letters, typesetting materials and antique printing presses. The wood type was originally created for a New England advertising company, Metropolitan Showprint (est.1890). APSU purchased the collection in 1997.
The letterpress and type collection were named in honor of Arthur Goldsmith – an advocate for public literacy, a lover of books and a long-term supporter of the arts in middle Tennessee. The Goldsmith Press, which has been awarded 10 regional and federal grants, has proven to be a valued teaching tool and a coveted studio for artists, designers and writers.
“The donated press and equipment have special value because it belonged to Arthur,” said Cindy Marsh, professor of art and director of the Goldsmith Press. “His love of books and printing has always been our inspiration.”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEEKmUHkZBA[/youtube]
For more information, contact the APSU Department of Art, (931) 221-7333, or e-mail marshc@apsu.edu.
