Museum of Printing should not be confused with Esbjerg Printing Museum.
| Museum of Printing | |
| Map Type: | Massachusetts Essex County#Massachusetts#USA |
| Former Names: | --> |
| Established: | 1978 |
| Location: | Haverhill, Massachusetts, US |
| Type: | History of technology |
| Executive Director: | Frank Romano |
| Leader Type: | Chairman/Executive Directo |
| Car Park: | --> |
| Nrhp: | --> |
The Museum of Printing (MoP), located in Haverhill, Massachusetts, is a museum dedicated to preserving the history of printing technologies and practices, the graphic arts, and their role in the development of culture and literacy.[1]
In 1978, a group of New England printers and publishers mobilized to preserve hot metal typesetting equipment which was being replaced by the Boston Globe newspaper.[2] For the first 18 years, the growing collection was dispersed in various warehouses and spaces inaccessible to the public. In 1997, some of the collection was first opened to view in space formerly occupied by the Textile Museum in North Andover, Massachusetts. In 2016, Rochester Institute of Technology Professor Emeritus Frank Romano acquired and donated a former electrical supplies building in Haverhill, Massachusetts to house the museum.[2]
The core of the collection was contributed by Romano, who spent his career in the development of the modern printing business. He contributed 6,000 books from his personal library, plus many classic machines, including early Macintosh desktop publishing computers contributed by Steve Jobs.[3]
The typewriter collection has been the setting and facilitator of at least one successful marriage proposal, in 2020.[4]
The displays include a number of historic machines and related artifacts:[5]
There is an extensive library of 7,000 books, periodicals, and media related to the history of paper and printing.[6] [2]
Operation of classic printing equipment is demonstrated, as well as exhibitions and hands-on workshops by artists who use printing technologies.[7] [3] In 2018, the museum celebrated a "QWERTY" Festival, featuring typewriters and their history and culture.[8]
There are art galleries, meeting spaces, and a museum store on premises. The store offers books, souvenirs, and classic printing artifacts.[1]