How I Got Involved in Letterpress Printing:
In 2003, I started Blackbird Letterpress in Lafayette, Louisiana, in my friends’ house (Pudd and Leigh Anne, from back where my people
are from). It runs pretty much as a one-girl show except with gracious help from Pudd, Leigh Anne, and the 3 guard dogs, Hayden, Maggie,
and Dottie (who kindly give their company). I was trained as a printmaker and have a Bachelor of Fine Arts (1999) from Montana State
University, Bozeman in Printmaking and a Master of Fine Arts (2003) from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge also in Printmaking.
Blackbird
began after the purchase of a Chandler and Price, Old Style, platen letterpress from a long time printer in Hammond, Louisiana. The
type came from a long time printer outside of Chicago. One crisp October weekend (well, crisp in Illinois, not necessarily in Louisiana),
Pudd and Kathryn flew to the big midwestern city, loaded a couple tons of type and cabinets and other goodies out of a basement into
a moving truck, and drove it back to Bayou Country. A collection of vintage printer’s cuts came from a long time printer in New Iberia,
Louisiana (the trip was luckily much shorter that time). The shop continues to grow and is threatening to bust it’s seams. We are
proud to say that everything here is hand set, hand fed, and treadle driven. Looks like I'm moving to a bigger shop in June 2007!
Presses
& Equipment: Chandler & Price, Old Style, 8x12, Vandercook Ball-Bearing Proof Press, and some old sign press i just picked
up, lots of movable type
Group Memberships, if any: APA #809
Email Address: blackbirdletterpress@yahoo.com
Website: www.blackbirdletterpress.com
