Penrith Museum of Printing

The Penrith Museum of Printing is a unique ‘working museum’ established in Penrith NSW in 2001. The museum is managed and staffed by volunteers who are primarily printing tradesmen. The aim of the museum is to collect, conserve and showcase letterpress printing machinery and equipment from around the world so as to keep alive the knowledge and skills of letterpress printing for present and future generations.

The museum has been designed to give the appearance of a 1940’s Australian printing establishment. Our collection showcases 22 pieces of working printing machinery and equipment as well as pre-press ‘composing room’ equipment that includes many different type fonts gathered from Australian print shops.

Some of our most significant items include:

• A Wharfedale flat bed printing press (1890’s)
• Model 5 & Model 8 linotypes type setting machines (1920’s)
• Chandler & Price platen presses  (1905 – 1912)
• Hand operated platen press from Leipzig Germany (1880’s)

Museum management are particularly proud of a number of achievements in our short history, that includes:

• The recent complete restoration of a Model 5 linotype type setting machine;
• The recent introduction of a number of typography courses for those interested in learning hand type-setting techniques.

The museum hosts group tours that are particularly enjoyed by community groups, service clubs and schools that are designed to provide the participant with a unique glimpse into the world of letterpress printing.

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