An update on the Huntly Heidelberg project, (now officially known as 'The Huntly Independent Press').
The Heidelberg was in action over the last two weekends. I cannot say our Heidelberg because the press is actually privately owned, more of which later, but it did attract a fair amount of attention both from those who remembered it in commercial operation and those curious to see an old printing procedure resurrected. These open weekends were not strictly speaking a major part of the initial proposal and vision, but useful for funding reports and such.
An interesting aspect of opening up the old printshop and publicising the Heidelberg's renovation was just how prevalent the print industries were to the area, indeed, any part of the country. I've lost count of the number of folk who came along and are in conversation with us, now in their 50's, 60's, who were apprenticed into the print trade and had come along to re-live their early working lives. Printers and type-setters, a host of allied trades, too.
One or two had an experience akin to rediscovering the first car you owned as a teenager. Not just the same model, but the car, with all the associated memories it represents. Running a Heidelberg is very much like driving an old car; it has a clutch, it idles, has flywheels and you can change it's speed. To some, it looks pretty cool too.
Operating the press to an audience, pulling out newly printed sheets whilst the press is running has a frisson reminiscent of watching those fairground guys who used to casually step onto the back of the Wurlitzers at the fairground to collect the money; looks risky but you kinda wished you could do it (and you would if you had the chance, wouldn't you?... especially if there was a girl you wanted to impress).
The press, now that it's operational, becomes part of a dialogue between two artists; Cameron Ross and David Blyth. In the future, we will be making and printing as part of our own collaborative practice using the imprint
'The Huntly Independent Press', however, the press is now open to other voices joining the conversation.