Towards a Virtual Museum of Printing
An exciting new UK virtual museum project
On 28 October 2020, the Printing Historical Society approved a proposal, presented by the National Printing Heritage Committee (NPHC), for a web-based virtual Virtual Museum of Printing (VMP).
This web site was launched in June 2024 and is now in its first public phase, which includes a Directory of Printing Collections in the British Isles. Further contributions to the Directory are invited.
About the project
The objective of the Museum is to ‘bring as much of the nation’s printing-historical resources as possible together on one virtual collective museum site.’ The site will be a platform for print historians, practitioners, and heritage professionals across the nation to share data, images, videos and narrative relating to their collections.
This concept, developed by Lee Hale, of Winterbourne House, University of Birmingham, will allow for improved connections, knowledge transfer and potential education and training opportunities. Most importantly, Museum visitors will engage not just with one virtual museum, but with a range of physical collections from all over the country, many of which would otherwise be inaccessible.
VMP is a project of the National Printing Heritage Committee, chaired by Dr Rachel Stenner, University of Sussex. It will be owned and operated by the Printing Historical Society, with the Centre for Printing History and Culture (CPHC), the Baskerville Society, and the Bibliographical Society on the masthead as official ‘Founding Sponsors.’
The project is managed by a Steering Group and led by an Executive Committee.
We are delighted to announce the organisations signed up as BMoP content contributors as of October 2022 are:
St Bride Library, Fleet Street, London
British Printing Museum, Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire
Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Shropshire
Winterbourne House and Garden Print Workshop, Birmingham
Gray's Printing Press, N. Ireland
Norwich Printing Museum
Financial sponsors of the project as of June 2023 include:
Heritage and HE Sector Sponsorship:
Baskerville Society, Birmingham City University
The Bibliographical Society
Centre for Printing History and Culture, Birmingham City University
National Printing Heritage Committee, Printing Historical Society
University of Sussex
Corporate Sponsorship:
Micropathology, Ltd.
Individual Sponsorship:
Private donations to date totalling £2,050
Membership of the BMoP Steering Group as of June 2023:
Dr Caroline Archer-Parré*, Professor of typography, Co-director of the Centre for Printing History & Culture at Birmingham City University, Chairman of the Baskerville Society, representing CPHC;
Dr Giles Bergel, Digital Humanities Research Officer, Oxford University, representing the Bibliographical Society;
Lee Hale* (Chair), Director of Winterbourne House & Garden, the University of Birmingham, Founder of the Winterbourne Press, Fellow of The Lunar Society, Trustee of the Merlin Trust;
Katie Leigh-Lancaster, MA Literature and Culture student, University of Birmingham;
Dr Paul W. Nash, Editor of the Journal of the Printing Historical Society and Publications Officer for the PHS. Trustee of the Norwich Printing Museum. Museum Development Contacts Liaison & Content Editor, BMoP project;
David Osbaldestin*, PHS & NPHC Treasurer; Course Director, Birmingham School of Art, Birmingham City University;
Dr Elizabeth Savage, FSA FRHistS, Senior Lecturer in Book History and Communications, Institute of English Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London, Higher Education Liaison, BMoP project;
Dr Rachel Stenner*, Chair, NPHC, Lecturer in English Literature 1350-1660, School of English, University of Sussex;
Dr Helen S Williams, Hon Sec Scottish Printing Archival Trust; Honorary Edward Clark Fellow at Edinburgh Napier University; Interim Fundraising Lead, BMoP project.
Dr Shijia Yu, nineteenth-century British art historian, Associate Research Fellow at Birkbeck, University of London and Associate Lecturer at the Courtauld Institute of Art and the Open University.
* indicates member of Executive Committee
Project updates
October 2022
Get involved:
The Steering Group is currently collecting the names of individuals and organisations who would like to become site contributors, donors, and sponsors, as well as names of individuals and or organisations that have a general interest in the project. There are many opportunities to become involved and help promote this exciting new PHS initiative.
For more information about the Virtual Museum of Printing project or to discuss becoming a donor or sponsor, please register your interest on the VMP holding page.
March 2023
Name change:
The site was launched as the British Museum of Printing (BMoP) in 2020. After advice and consultation in 2022, the Steering Group made the decision to re-name the site as the ‘Virtual Museum of Printing’.
Creation of Executive Committee:
An Executive Committee was established to share responsibility for decision making and speed up the implementation of decisions.
March 2023
Launch date:
The Steering Group anticipates launching the site in the Autumn, accompanied by a launch event and continued promotional activities.
June 2024