Letterpress Research
Important Dates for the Letterpress
Before the letterpress was invented in the 15th century, woodblock printing was the most commonly used printing system. When the letterpress was invented in 1440, it allowed type to be much more accessible to the general public. The first letter press used on the American continent was in Mexico in 1540 by a group of catholic priests. The first letter press was brought to the English colonies in America and printed a Psalm book in 1640.The first newspaper produced using the letterpress was on April 24, 1704. It was the Boston newsletter and it would be the beginnings of a new enlightened stage for common people in America. Letterpress printing has allowed institutions like schools, newspapers, theaters, etc. To make their content much more readily available for the general public. It has allowed them to advertise and print tickets, brochures, sheet music, etc. without letterpress all of these things would have remained unavailable for the average person. Letterpress undeniably changed the world of education and the arts.
Letterpress and Literacy Rates
The letterpress has been one of the largest driving forces in increasing education across the world and increasing literacy rates. The PIAAC defines literacy as “the ability to understand, evaluate, use and engage with written texts to participate in society, to achieve one’s goals, and to develop one’s knowledge and potential”. In the United Kingdom, in 1451 right after the letterpress was created, literacy rates were a shocking 5 percent. Only the extremely rich were given the power of education. The letterpress began the print revolution and the age of enlightenment which took place in the 17th and 18th centuries. This dramatic change in print made the literacy rates make a drastic upward spike. In 1601, literacy rates in the United Kingdom were now at an all time high of 61%.
This shift in the way that information was shared had a drastic change in education and literacy rates, but it also created a shift in power dynamics. Before the letterpress, predominantly only upperclass men were given the power of education. Through the letterpress, average people were able to become educated about religion, politics, and science. This allowed average people to not rely solely on what they were taught from the wealthy, but instead to be able to create their own opinions, beliefs, and identity. This cultural shift also was the beginning of women gaining knowledge and becoming more interested in reading and writing. This ultimately led to the beginning of the women’s rights movement.
Letterpress and the Economy
Along with the dramatic shifts in culture and access to education, the letterpress changed the economy in noticeable ways. The letterpress created the journaling and newspaper industry and the jobs centered around it. The ability to print the Bible and other religious texts also played a huge role in the increase of the letterpress and the economy being produced by it. It is hard to measure exactly how much the letterpress impacted the different economies it was apart of, but the impact was predicted to be la. Professor Jeremy Dittmar did a study that showed the differences in growth that cities with Letterpresses and the cities that did not have Letterpress in the 1450-1500. He chose cities of similar sizes and characteristics, that did not have any noticeable reasons for growth or the lack of. In his research, by 1600 the cities with letterpress on average had 30% more growth than the cities without. This study is a unique way of showing the economic impact of the letterpress, he also discussed how the cities containing letterpresses were more culturally diverse and open to migrants.