Letterpress
This method of printing was invented by Johannes Gutenberg about 600 years ago and is still used today, particularly by artists.
To use a letterpress, first of all the text to be printed must be 'typeset'. This means the letters needed are selected and put into the correct order (including spaces and punctuation). This is a challenging process because the letters are all backwards and upside down! As well as the two lines of poetry for the postcards, we printed the Shackleton family motto in English & Latin on bookmarks: "By Endurance We Conquer."
Ink is applied to a plate on the letterpress. When you operate the letterpress, it runs a roller along the ink and then across the set type. Then the letters are pressed down onto the paper that's in the letter press, and the text is transferred to the paper.
We worked as a team to compose the line from 'If' on a composing stick. We used Caslon typeface (the same one Shackleton used in Antarctica).
The letters are upside down & backwards so it was quite tricky to arrange them correctly!
We set the type in the letterpress form by securing furniture and quoins with a special tool and a wooden hammer
Mrs Behan helped us operate the letterpress while Angelina was making the dye with us
We also learned Shackleton and his crew using their letterpress to print menus for their mid-winter dinner in June, 1908 when they were stationed at Cape Royds in Antarctica.
It's clear from the menu that the explorers had a good sense of humour and also enjoyed 'local delicacies'!
It looks like the explorers were purposely setting their type incorrectly when they wrote 'MORE WHISHKY!!!!!?'
(Images: Antarctic Food & Drink)
We also painted with the ink we had made from natural ingredients such as elderberries and purple heather, once it had been mixed with gum arabic & vinegar.
