You are cordially invited to a free in-person showcase and curators’ talk at McMaster’s Mills Memorial Library (5 October 2023, 4:30 p.m. EST): “Wherein She Plainly Shews”: Women of the Printing Trades in the Hand-Press Era.

The centuries following the advent of the printing press in Europe were characterised by an overwhelmingly male print industry. Guild rules, social norms, and financial pressures conspired to keep women out of the printing workforce. In spite of these obstacles, many thousands of women were involved in the printing business, with some rising to own and operate their own presses.

Please join Ruth-Ellen St. Onge, Distinctive Collections Cataloguing Librarian, and Myron Groover, Archives and Rare Books Librarian, for an exploration of women working in the printing trades and the output of woman-owned presses – including those of Mary Clark, Elinor James, Anne Dodd, Sarah Harding, Sarah Cotter, la veuve Mazières, and the completely woman-operated École Typographique des Femmes established under French Revolutionary auspices in 1791.

This showcase event is part of McMaster University Library’s theme year, “Transformative Stories: Year of Gender and Justice.” McMaster Library’s biannual “Year of” celebrations highlight the Library’s unique collections, resource, and expertise.

Register for this event using this link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/women-of-the-printing-trades-in-the-hand-press-era-tickets-695509596927?aff=oddtdtcreator. Please feel free to share this invitation with other interested parties.