Specialist Reporter

Published 20th Jul 2024, 06:00 GMT

The Centre runs workshops and working presses with away-days, memberships and with a gallery and shop coming soon. To Prof Helen Smith, of the University of York’s English department, this is celebrating something central to the city’s long history.

"This is bringing printing back into the heart of York, opening up a space that is all about creativity and history and getting hands on," she said. "People love books and prints, we love poetry and images, and words on the page but we don't always stop to think how they got there."

The seed for a new centre was planted back in 2017, as a teaching and research facility. But soon, people wanted to try their own hand. Then, as the city opened up after lockdown, a special project called StreetLife was launched, celebrating Coney Street with a cultural hub, music and poetry - and print.

Prof Helen Smith with a Colombian press made in 1845 now situated in Thin Ice Press, The York Centre for Print in photographed by Tony Johnson for The Yorkshire Post.

That project came to an end last year, but a key part - Thin Ice Press - has found a new and permanent home at the Old School House, a former art gallery in the lovely St Anthony’s Gardens on Peasholme Green.

It reflects on the history of publishing in York and was originally inspired by the Gent Press - or the Thin Ice press - a wooden press owned by Scarborough Museum that was deteriorating over time, but that once belonged to Thomas Gent, born in 1693. He famously brought his printing press out onto the frozen River Ouse during the great freeze of 1740, printing souvenirs for the vast crowds who visited the river.

The Centre is supported by grants, including from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), as well as donations, and with building support from the York Conservation Trust (YCT).

The hope is that the new centre, open now, will prove self-supporting. The centre is home to powered proofing presses, hand presses, tabletop and iron presses including a Columbian dated 1845 and an Albion dated 1853, with an etching press soon to come. As well as exploring these, the public will be able to attend events, workshops and talks at the new centre that demonstrate the city's printing history and spark creativity today.

Printing Block Letters and ink rollers at Thin Ice Press, The York Centre for Print in photographed by Tony Johnson for The Yorkshire Post.

"Printing, especially letterpress printing, is on the red list of endangered crafts," said Prof Smith. "Unless we take action it will die out within another generation. It's lovely to think we are making a difference to preserving these skills so we don't lose something so special to our history - but also to see people get so much enjoyment just from giving it a try.

"York has a rich history of printing and a long history - for a long time it was the only place outside of London, Oxford and Cambridge where printing was happening," she added. "It's also a distinctive history. Around every corner there is something new to find out."

Thin Ice Press: New centre for print in York shines a light on heritage craft