Saturday, January 05, 2008
In the beginning
There was a press. There was a girl without enough good sense to be intimidated.
I hope that someday I look back at this post and am embarrassed. You see, I've never set type, and all I know is what Shona has shown me. (Don't you dare laugh at my chase there, Shona! I need your help!)
I went to SOS Linotype here just outside of Nashville. the owner, Jerry Spurlock was super nice and helpful. One of my friends said it must be like a kid in a candy store. And it really was. I was in a rush, so I didn't get the chance to dig through his many, many, many cabinets of type. But I did choose this one. It's Century Schoolbook, size 24. Quite an admirable first font. My boss thought it was really humorous that I could only buy one size. I think it's just the concept that I do high-tech stuff at work, high-definition, etc, and I'm going so far backward in technology to do stuff on this press. It is pretty ironic if you think about it.
So I bought a little furniture (the stuff that fills up white space and locks type into place), some quoins (they wedge into the frame and lock to keep things snug), a composing stick (to hold your type while you're laying it out), and this font. Jerry gave me this Christmas cut with Santa as a customer appreciation. And I also got those little cuts out of the drawers and drawers. That place is like stepping back in time.
So check out all the dust in that type case there. Yuck. I spent a couple hours last night cleaning it, and that was pretty gross. It's still not done, but it's on its way. I feel like it's a kind of penance or dues-paying to take time and take good care of my new old stuff. It's such a tradition, I can't go and defile it by not respectin'.
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very cool....your well on your way. we are all waiting with bated breath to see the results!! So glad we get to see you morph into an expert printer this year!!!
woah! Awesome!!
love, love, love, love, love, love and...love.
that's really all I can muster...what a great present and what a fun time you had to have had digging around in there!!!
.xo. Jenn
I am so intrigued. I want to see it in action, and -like everyone else- I can't wait to see what the end result(s) will be!
Gosh, I had a dream about this printing press last night. It printed out like a laser jet :)
Good luck with it - can't wait to see it in action!
hello! i am also in nashville and happy to find your blog. i can tell i will be clicking through here backwards for DAYS. perhaps sometime we can coffee!
I love Century Schoolbook. Good choice.