Tom Paine Printing Press

THE TOM PAINE PRINTING PRESS is now at 151 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1XU, UK. It is Peter Chasseaud's project for a working 18th-century ‘common press’ in the environment of an 18th century printing house, with type cases, cabinets, frames and the compositor’s ‘stone’. Posters, broadsheets, pamphlets and books will be printed on the press, which will also be used to show the complexities of letterpress technology and the crucial importance of the printed word in disseminating ideas.

Saturday, 26 July 2008

Tom Paine Printing Press, progress report July 2008

Alan May, who is building the press for me, has just sent me this photo of the beautifully engineered nut and pin, crucial components of the mechanism for applying pressure to the platen during the printing process.

Welcome to The Tom Paine Printing Press

The Tom Paine Printing Press is Peter Chasseaud's project to set up a working 18th Century style wooden Common Press in Lewes, Sussex. This press, which should be operational from early 2009, will be accessible to artists and writers to print their own works, and will also be open to the public for demonstrations and courses.

The town of Lewes will, in July 2009, be staging a big festival to commemorate the bicentenary of Paine's death, and The Tom Paine Printing Press will be on show and fully working during this important festival.

Peter Chasseaud - see http://peterchasseaud.blogspot.com
- is an artist, writer and producer of artist's books who has lived in Lewes since 1973. He has been a member of the Headstrong Club (founded in 1987 on the 250th anniversary of Paine's birth) for 21 years, has served on its committee for many years, and was a founder-member of the Tom Paine Project in 2000.

Tom Paine Printing Press

Saturday, 26 July 2008