Wells and Faces was created by Lauren Stoyles for her capstone research course in History of the Book, 2024.

In letterpress printing, raised faces on the type create imprints of letters, words, and stories. However, it is the wells in the type, spaces that sit below the ink line, that give shape to the impression. If we look closely at these wells, we can often see the marks of the printers: fingerprints, smudges, and indents. What would close examination of a whole collection of books uncover? Whose stories sit just out of view below the ink line?

Wells and Faces uncovers the stories and work of women printers housed in the University of Western Ontario’s special collections. The exhibition is composed of texts that span the historical timeline from 1542 to 2012. Arranged chronologically, the exhibition takes you on a journey through a history of women’s print highlighting the shifts and continuities in themes of professionalism, ownership, and craft. Each of the texts included in the exhibition was printed by a woman or in the print shop of a woman printer. Wells and Faces serves as a reminder of the often-quiet persistence of women’s labour throughout history.

Learn more about the woman printers behind the texts included in the exhibition by clicking the boxes below.