Samson Press
Encyclopedia
The Samson Press was a small letterpress printing
business or private press
run by Joan Mary Shelmerdine (1899–1994) and Flora Margaret Grierson (1899–1966). They began printing in 1930, at a cottage in Stuart Road, Warlingham
in Surrey, and produced a number of small books and a good deal of ephemera
before the Press was destroyed by fire in late 1936. They subsequently moved to Woodstock in Oxfordshire, where they re-established the Press in 1937. They ceased printing for a while during the war, but re-opened the Press in 1945 and continued to work, mostly producing greetings cards and other ephemera, until 1967, when the Press was formally closed (following the death of Grierson in the previous year). Shelmerdine subsequently presented the Press's archive, along with its type and printing equipment, to the Bodleian Library
in Oxford.
The Samson Press was unusual for being run by two women, on a commercial footing, at a time when women found it very hard to find practical employment in the printing industry. It was also notable for its patronage of young and unknown artists, who were commissioned to provide wood-engravings, linocut
s and drawing
s for the Press's publications. Iain Macnab
was an early friend of the Press, and produced numerous images for Grierson and Shelmerdine, and some of the other artists employed by the Press, such as Tom Chadwick and Gwenda Morgan, were pupils at Macnab's Grosvenor School of Art.
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
business or private press
Private press
Private press is a term used in the field of book collecting to describe a printing press operated as an artistic or craft-based endeavor, rather than as a purely commercial venture...
run by Joan Mary Shelmerdine (1899–1994) and Flora Margaret Grierson (1899–1966). They began printing in 1930, at a cottage in Stuart Road, Warlingham
Warlingham
Warlingham is a large village on the south-eastern boundary of London, England, just across the border in Tandridge district, east Surrey. Neighbouring villages include Sanderstead, Hamsey Green, Whyteleafe, Farleigh, Fickleshole, Tatsfield and Woldingham...
in Surrey, and produced a number of small books and a good deal of ephemera
Ephemera
Ephemera are transitory written and printed matter not intended to be retained or preserved. The word derives from the Greek, meaning things lasting no more than a day. Some collectible ephemera are advertising trade cards, airsickness bags, bookmarks, catalogues, greeting cards, letters,...
before the Press was destroyed by fire in late 1936. They subsequently moved to Woodstock in Oxfordshire, where they re-established the Press in 1937. They ceased printing for a while during the war, but re-opened the Press in 1945 and continued to work, mostly producing greetings cards and other ephemera, until 1967, when the Press was formally closed (following the death of Grierson in the previous year). Shelmerdine subsequently presented the Press's archive, along with its type and printing equipment, to the Bodleian Library
Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library , the main research library of the University of Oxford, is one of the oldest libraries in Europe, and in Britain is second in size only to the British Library...
in Oxford.
The Samson Press was unusual for being run by two women, on a commercial footing, at a time when women found it very hard to find practical employment in the printing industry. It was also notable for its patronage of young and unknown artists, who were commissioned to provide wood-engravings, linocut
Linocut
Linocut is a printmaking technique, a variant of woodcut in which a sheet of linoleum is used for the relief surface. A design is cut into the linoleum surface with a sharp knife, V-shaped chisel or gouge, with the raised areas representing a reversal of the parts to show printed...
s and drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
s for the Press's publications. Iain Macnab
Iain Macnab
Iain MacNab of Barachastlain was a Scottish wood-engraver and painter. As a prominent teacher he was influential in the development of the British school of wood-engraving. His pictures are noted for clarity of form and composition....
was an early friend of the Press, and produced numerous images for Grierson and Shelmerdine, and some of the other artists employed by the Press, such as Tom Chadwick and Gwenda Morgan, were pupils at Macnab's Grosvenor School of Art.