Help save an important part of Wisconsin history

[jerichoholicninja]

As you may have seen, I just spent 3 days at Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum at their annual Wayzgoose Conference. To be blunt, the museum is in trouble of being lost.

 

The leadership of the museum, Jim Moran, Bill Moran, and Stephanie Carpenter, are some of the most generous and passionate people I know who are doing what they truly love. But this is not about them. They are the ones leading this charge. I, along with the nearly 150 others at the conference, have been recruited to help carry on the legacy of letters and words.

 

If you are a designer, art director, writer, lover of music, of nearly anything printed, there is a little bit of Hamilton Wood Type in you. I could go into the history of Hamilton, but that you can do on your own at http://woodtype.org/.

 

Hamilton is home to over 1,500,000 pieces of wood type. And each of those pieces of wood type, all 1.5 million of them have a story to tell. Something to teach. Wants to be something beautiful.

 

A fundraising campaign is underway. If you have ever been to Hamilton, you have seen the work and the history first person and should care about their future. If you have ever heard of Hamilton, you know their place in our creative history and hopefully care enough to see it continue. If you have never heard of Hamilton, but believe that history of all kinds should be maintained and there for all those to learn from, you should care to help insure their future.

 

I have nothing to gain from this personally, but professionally feel the need to help in the work Jim, Bill and Stephanie are doing every day for all of us. To keep the legacy of Hamilton alive so we all can benefit from what they have done since 1880.

 

How can you help, well right now by donating. Become a member of Hamilton for as little as $35. Tell everyone you know who reads, designs, creates about it and spread the word WIDE! $35 too much, then make it $10. You know how this works, every dollar helps!

 

Show your support here at http://woodtype.org/home/support

 

I will have more information soon to share but right now, let's get the ball rolling to keep Hamilton going!

 

These aren't my own words but I think they do a great job of getting the point across.

 

The museum will be forced to leave their current building on April 1 of 2013. They need funds for a new permanent location to house their collection, which is the largest in the world. Any way you can help would be appreciated.

 

The Hamilton Manufacturing Company built the city of Two Rivers and was known around the world for the wood type and printing equipment it produced. The company has been bought and sold many times through the years and unfortunately the factory closed a few months ago and the current owners are selling the property.

 

I do not work there but I am very close to the people that do. If you have any questions, I'll offer as much information as I can. This is a huge piece of Wisconsin history and it needs all the help it can get.

[trwi7]

I'll make a donation. My parents met each other when they worked at Hamilton.

[jerichoholicninja]

I'll make a donation. My parents met each other when they worked at Hamilton.

 

Thank you!

[jerichoholicninja]

For those interested the last day the museum is going to be open in the original factory is this Saturday. Below is information about the event.

 

Please join us Saturday, December 29th from 10 am to 5 pm to say farewell to the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum's first location in an original Hamilton building that dates from 1926. While it is always hard to say goodbye we will be celebrating the history of the company and the future of the museum in a new Two Rivers location. The museum will close at the 1619 Jefferson Street location after this date. So this is your LAST CHANCE to see the museum in its original location. We will reopen in 2013 at our new location. (Yet to be announced!)

 

Since we are devoted to being a living, breathing museum it wouldn't be an open house without getting to pull your own print from historic Two Rivers blocks. Staff will assist you in printing a Hamilton themed broadside that you can take home that day. Join us for live printing demonstrations, wood type being cut on the pantograph, and guided tours. Interesting displays for the entire family. Free and open to the public.

 

http://woodtype.org/events/item/52

 

If you have an interest in art, wood working, graphic design, history, manufacturing, or printing or if you know someone that is this would be a fun day. Heck, you might be lucky enough to meet me! If you can't make it but still have an interest I'm sure they would greatly appreciate a donation or purchase from their online store.