chandler & price letterpress

The lovely story attached to this letterpress is...

I received a phone call spring last year -

Jim W: 'hey Rhonda - do you want a letterpress?'

me: 'um - ok'

Jim: 'ahh good - can you come up and grab it now - the bloke who wanted it in queensland just figured out he can't get it in his shed.... and now it's blocking my driveway.... save us!

me: 'um.... PHILLLL!!!! (enter long suffering husband with the flatbed 1 tonne ute)

(cue rain and broken crane... swearing long-suffering husband and very very steep and slippery driveway)

but we got the beast home

The thing weighs a tonne (I mean seriously - it weighs a tonne - we had to man-handle it into the studio using rolling steel tubes... it's not going anywhere - ever again!

and just before Jim left the district he raced down to Sams Creek to give me a quick run down on how to operate the machine..... I remain a rank amateur - but in the spirit of the term - I love the beastie and the process - and look forward to getting to grips with the whole deal




just in case you were wondering.... its a chandler & price clamshell letterpress - gorgeous isn't it?! and you can't see how messy the studio is from this angle!



see - here's the side of the lovely creature (is it ok to love a machine?....) you still can't see the mess of the studio...



did I mention that along with the press Jim gave me (seriously - GAVE ME - as in FREE!) not only the press - but a glorious chest of type, boxes of bits and bobs and basically everything needed to get the creature going... here's some of the delicious type..... mmmmmmmm - yummy!




and now for a very artistic shot of type...

all pics in the studio today taken by Brian Ayliffe.... yes he's my dad...