ABOUT US
The Huron Letterpress Studio is an interdisciplinary maker space opened in 2020 as part of the Huron Community History Centre and Huron’s Book History minor, supported by two faculty John and Gail MacNaughton Teaching Prizes held by members of the History Department and English and Cultural Studies, and by the SSHRC-funded Black Press in Canada project. The Huron Letterpress Studio acquired its first press in 2019 with inspiration from the Letterpress Studio at Oberlin College, support from the print shop at Fanshawe Pioneer Village and the generous donation of an antique Kelsey Press and type cabinets from Andrea Klein of The Bookseller in Akron, Ohio.
Since then, the Studio has been an integral part of the Huron community, providing unique hands-on learning opportunities to various programs through Class Tours and Student Projects.
The Studio team also engages the broader community through collaborating on events and research projects, and running presentations at open houses and conferences. The team is composed of faculty and student assistants who receive letterpress training and help facilitate student engagement. See some of our studio projects here.
Our Reliance Press
Our Kelsey Press
Our Type
Huron is home to two nineteenth-century Reliance Presses. These flatbed presses use a process similar to the infamous Gutenberg press. For more information, see our demonstration video.
Kelsey Presses were made for amateur printers in the late nineteenth century as they were more portable and inexpensive. Our Kelsey Press is the Excelsior model. For more information, see our demonstration video.
The Huron Letterpress Studio is home to over 50 cases of type including decorative pieces and wood type. The wide variety of typefaces allows students to use their own creativity in their projects. For more information see our demonstration video.
We are located in room A3 at Huron University College