The display, titled ‘Rhapsody in Wood Type,’ is featured at the Printing Museum, a globally recognised institution dedicated to the history and techniques of printing.
A portion of the exhibition is dedicated to DeLittle of York, the UK’s last surviving wood letter factory, detailing its history and role in printing.
Masato Kitani, a specialist officer in the Printing Museum’s academic planning office, expressed his excitement about exhibiting items tied to DeLittle after visiting York last year.
The exhibition ‘Rhapsody in Wood Type’ is currently on display at the Printing Museum, Tokyo(Image: Naoko Takeda)
He said: “For Japanese people who are only familiar with woodblock printing, such as ukiyo-e from the Edo period, European and American wooden movable type is a very rare sight, and the advertising culture that developed in England during the same period, such as playbills, seems like a mysterious world.
“We are grateful for the cooperation of the people of York, and we hope to continue our long-term relationship in the future.”
The R.D. DeLittle Eboracum Letter Factory began operations in 1888 and continued until 1999.
To illustrate this intriguing narrative, artefacts and images have been sourced from Explore York Libraries and Archives and Thin Ice Press: the York Centre for Print.
These pieces outline the broader history of wood type, first mass-produced in the 1830s.
Wood type had a dominance in the worlds of entertainment and advertising for over a century.
The exhibition is also a demonstration of the research undertaken at the University of York.
Professor Helen Smith detailed the effort it took to relocate various objects associated with DeLittle when the London-based Type Archive shut in 2022.
Masato Kitani showcases some of the items and images that have been lent by Explore York Libraries and Archives and Thin Ice Press: the York Centre for Print, including some templates and partially-carved wood type(Image: Thin Ice Press)
These items, including a unique pantograph machine and a historic office, were part of the University’s StreetLife project on Coney Street from 2022-2023 and are now on show at Thin Ice Press: the York Centre for Print.
Professor Smith highlighted that the link between DeLittle and Japan isn’t new, as on several occasions DeLittle purchased valuable Japanese hardwoods to create their distinctive type.
Dr Julie-Ann Vickers, head of archives at Explore, said: “This impressive exhibition demonstrates the international reach of our heritage collections here in York.
“The collaboration with Thin Ice Press and Tokyo’s Printing Museum presented an opportunity to gather archives and objects together to bring York’s incredible printing history to new audiences in Japan.
“We too hope this is just the start of a great partnership.”
The Printing Museum, Tokyo also counts some DeLittle treasures among its collection, purchased in Australia. DeLittle had family links with Australia, and shipped large quantities of type to Australia, including their very first order(Image: Naoko Takeda)
Professor Naoko Takeda, a researcher at Waseda University in Tokyo, is delighted that Japanese audiences will learn about York’s history of printing.
She added: “I first realised how important York’s printing industry was when I saw the StreetLife exhibition in 2022.
“It’s a dream come true that just three years later, so many people in Japan know about a remarkable York manufacturer, DeLittle.”
AloJapan.com