The Free Press Print Shop Exhibit--Fanshawe Pioneer Village (London & Middlesex Heritage Museum) 1424 Clarke Road, London, Ontario N5Z 5B9.
Reviewed Sept 22 & Oct 26.
http://www.fanshawepioneervillage.ca/
The Print Shop exhibit at Fanshawe Pioneer Village was originally created in 1967 by the London Free Press as a centennial project. The building was not designed after a particular Free Press structure, as it had burned down several times, but a conglomeration of characteristics from many early print shops. After being displayed near the London Free Press building, the replica went on exhibit at the Western Fair grounds. The London Free Press subsequently donated the Print Shop replica for permanent display at Fanshawe Pioneer Village. The Print Shop fits well with Fanshawe Pioneer Village’s mandate to showcase life in Southwestern Ontario from 1820s-1920s. It is meant to illustrate a late nineteenth century print shop, displaying varying successions of printing presses and print technology. In addition, the exhibit presents the print shop as being an influential and important feature in early Canada.
In order to display the evolution of printing technology through time, the print shop uses many artifacts of varying time periods. As this is a living history museum the interpreter, Doug Teeter, was central to the historical presentation of the print shop. He began with a description of the print shop and the history of printing from a technical perspective. He explained the exhibit’s many artifacts, pointing out which print presses would have been used pre-confederation and some which were manufactured later in the 19th century. It was also helpful to see a working press and he demonstrated how to use it. This proof press was used for single sheets which would have been shown to customers copy before they started printing multiple copies on a printing press. Copies of the The London Free Press from July 1st 1867 are displayed to demonstrate not only the type of news reported, but to focus on the speed at which news travelled.
Understandably there is no mention of confederation as the interpreter pointed out because news travelled by boat and then paths loosely defined as roads to get to Southwestern Ontario. Further, there was a tray of letters for printing that you could touch and practice setting for print. This is very effective in relating the tedious and time consuming nature of the printing press. The origin of common words we still use today in reference to writing on computers, such as justification, font points and “putting an article to bed” were explored using tactile examples. Other artifacts include samples of paper that are linen based to show how paper used to be made and how it felt.
The other aspect of the exhibit was the presentation of a clear narrative of the print shop as a fixture in the lives of Londoners. Doug spoke of the political controversy of the Canadian Free Press, as it was originally called when William Sutherland owned it. He recreates the world of reformers and the conservative family compact, while explaining the integral role the print shop played in the politics of the 19th century. The history of the London Free Press is told including stories of the burning of the Canadian Free Press when owned by liberal Sutherland to the success of Josiah Blackburn’s Free Press after he bought it in 1853. This was not supported with as many artifacts beyond a picture of Blackburn, but it brought a local interest to the print shop exhibit.
What could be a living history exhibit’s greatest flaw is also one that allows it to easily adapt to different audiences. Interpreters are central to disseminating knowledge to the public in living history exhibits. This can be damaging in the sense that the information might not be the same as different interpreters focus on divergent themes. However, the interactive and malleable nature of the interpreter does allow the exhibit to target a broader audience.
This is evident in The Free Press exhibit as it tailors its exhibit to different patrons. There are educational programs through the school that allow children to get a more hands-on approach. They are given a history of how the printing presses were used, allowed to play with the letters and even use the proof press to make a keepsake certificate with their name on it. The same principle applies to the general public as well. Doug had a general interpretation to give to visitors, but they were in control of building their visit, by choosing to listen to his interpretation, to ask further questions and handle the artifacts.
Through its use of primary sources and interactive interpretation the exhibit fulfills its purpose of expressing the history of printing and its place in the landscape of 19th century Southwestern Ontario. The volunteer interpreter Doug Teeter did an excellent job both of the times he was reviewed. Despite the fact that Mr. Teeter is not an employee, or perhaps as a result of this, his passion for the subject comes through in his interpretation of the Print Shop. He is knowledgeable and is quick to offer titles of secondary sources for further reading. While the history of the Free Press is highly relevant to London’s history, it would be interesting to have information presented of lesser known presses in the area. In addition, it would be convenient to have labels and written text inside the exhibit.
Although admittedly this could detract from the display, it would help to identify the many different print presses. Also, while there is a plaque outside briefly describing the print shop and its history, there is nothing inside at all to give any interpretation. Should the interpreter be busy, or for those visitors who would prefer to read information, it would be beneficial to have the information available inside the building. The exhibit also seemed disjointed, in that the span of technology was not labelled and not sectioned into time periods. The ‘feel’ of the print shop is not authentic as there would be more drying lines and a greater amount of paper spread around. In this sense it felt more like a collection of printing artifacts on display rather than an actual replica of a print shop. Overall, the print shop exhibit clearly described the process of printing in the 19th century and the history of the London Free Press. It was educational and interactive for general adult visitors as well as for children. The ability to interact with the artifacts was extremely important in recognizing the utility and history of the print shop.
