Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust

The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust is an Independent Museum Trust, founded in 1967 with the twin charitable aims of heritage conservation and education. The Trust runs ten museums across the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage site, each of which tells a unique story of the industrial history of the area.

All of the collections that the Trust cares for have been Designated by Arts Council England, in recognition of their national importance. This includes a variety of different collection types that relate to printing history. Of particular note are

• A collection of over 1000 printing blocks created for the Coalbrookdale Company (wood blocks, electros, and zincos)

• Coalbrookdale Company catalogues dating from the late nineteenth century, created using the blocks that were used to advertise the Company’s products.

• The Elton collection, which includes hundreds of examples of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century prints, mostly relating to artistic depictions of the Industrial Revolution.

• A collection of working printing presses, displayed in Blists Hill Victorian Town.

Collection

The presses that are displayed and operated at Blists Hill Victorian Town include

• Columbian press The Columbian Press was invented in America by George Clymer in 1813. The one in our Print Shop was built c.1850 and is normally used for printing posters. It can produce around 60 prints per hour.

• Cropper press Invented by Henry Smith Cropper in 1858, our Cropper Press was built in 1873 and is a treadle-operated platen printing press. It is used to print small items and cards and can produce 600 prints per hour.

• Bremner/Wharfedale press A ‘stop cylinder press’ designed by David Payne and built in Otley, Wharfedale. It is belt driven and was originally powered by a steam engine but has since been converted to electricity. It is used to print volume items, leaflets, flyers and can produce approximately 1200 prints per hour.

• Albion press Invented by Richard Whitaker Cope in c.1820s, our press was built by S&T SHARWOOD of London between 1836 and 1856. This press is currently used to deliver hands-on printing activities with our visitors.

When the site is open to the public, the print shop at Blists Hill is staffed by experienced demonstrators and is used to print material for use on site and to be sold in the gift shop. Printing workshops for the public are available.