The press will provide an opportunity to explore the vibrant printing history of York. From the 18th century female entrepreneurs who printed the first newspaper in York, to the printer’s devil that marked the location of the printing houses of Stonegate and its most famous resident, Thomas Gent (1693 – 1778).
Thomas Gent inherited his printing business from his wife, published several works (including a commemorative handbill on the Ouse in the great freeze of 1740) and established a printing house in Scarborough. Scarborough Museums Trust have kindly loaned Thin Ice Press the 18th century remains of a common press that once belonged to Thomas Gent, and it has already informed the plans and construction of our own working replica.
Follow the links below to find out more about the wooden common press and to delve deeper into the history of printing in York.
THIN ICE PRESS 