Letterpress Studio
Director: Kurt Koenigsberger
Student Intern: Tychicus McClendon
Contact Us: letterpress@case.edu
The New Gutenberg Annex (NGA) is a project of Writers House in the Department of English at Case Western Reserve, and is prominently located opposite the front door of Writers House in Bellflower Hall. Its name evokes the small studio that Professor Robert A. Wallace initiated in the basement of Clark Hall in the mid-1970s and called “The Gutenberg Annex of the Department of English.”
The NGA was founded in 2017 by members of the English Department, including Professor Kurt Koenigsberger and Professor Chris Flint, supported initially by a generous Nord Grant via the University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education (UCITE).
From a single table-top press and a handful of movable type, the Annex has grown to offer the following to individuals and classes:
- A Craftsmen Superior platen press accommodating a 6.5 x 10-inch chase and with a Boxcar base for photopolymer plates
- A Poco #0 proof press with a custom registration system
- A Bookbeetle wooden screw press
- A Provisional tabletop proof press
- An array of serifed typefaces, ranging in size from 11 to 24 point
- A smaller selection of sans-serif faces
- A selection of borders, ornaments, and decorative cuts
- Equipment for setting and lockup, including composing sticks, magnets, galleys, furniture, and reglet
- Basic papermaking equipment and supplies
- Basic bookbinding equipment and supplies
- Calligraphy pens and markers
- A library of books on the history of the book, typesetting and printing, typefaces, bookbinding, papermaking, and calligraphy
Annex faculty and staff can provide individual support and customized workshop for individuals and classes. Contact letterpress@case.edu to discuss your project or class.