19th-century Printing Press Experience VR

Would you like to experience how books were once printed? Take the role of a printer as you are guided step-by-step through printing on a 19th-century cast iron printing press. The printing press you will operate is a virtual reproduction of one owned by William Morris (1834–1896), who used it to print The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer (1896) for his Kelmscott Press. The “Kelmscott Chaucer,” as it is more commonly known, is one of the most beautiful books ever produced, and you will print its title page. The printing press was later owned by type designer Frederic Goudy (1865–1947). The press’s association with Morris and Goudy led it to be nicknamed the Kelmscott/Goudy Press.

The Kelmscott/Goudy Press now lives an active life at the Cary Graphic Arts Collection at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). The following team of students, led by Professor Shaun Foster and Curator Steven Galbraith, brought the press to life in a VR setting.

Lead on the app:  Aidan Grant 

Danielle Bertone, Bailey Cohen, Zach Darrow, Sam Donez (Lead), Aidan Grant (Lead), Caspian Halbert, Morgan Hamilton, Sean Herman (Lead), Devin Klibanow (Lead), Andrew Lytle, Matthew Mouthon, Grant MacWilliam, Hunter Ostrander, Jessica Torregrossa, Hannah Wertz, and Boyu Xu.

Initial work began with a BreakThru Grant from the Rochester Regional Library Council.