Museum presses 'rescue' old York

Curators at York Castle Museum have built up a collection of more than 500 printing blocks showing pictures of the city's famous landmarks.

But without a working printing press at the museum, which examines social history in Britain from 1700 to the present day, the curators approached the Bradford museum for help.

Bradford Industrial Museum boasts three working printing presses which are operated by four former printers who voluntarily come into the museum once a week.

Sarah Maultby, assistant curator of social history at York Castle Museum, said the images ranged in date from around 1850 to the 1930s.

She said it was hoped the pictures could be used in an exhibition at the York museum.

"We have a printing press at the museum but it is out of order and we have all these printing blocks which could be displayed," she said.

"You can only see the reverse of the image so you can't really tell what it looks like until it is properly printed out."

Miss Maultby said the collection included images of York's landmarks, such as York Minster, the city walls and churches. There are several blocks containing text.

She said the museum approached Bradford Industrial Museum for help after Brian Aldred, a volunteer in Bradford and a member of the York branch of the British Printing Society, said the printers could possibly assist.

"This really is invaluable help for us," she said.

"It's just brilliant that the volunteers are helping us and that the museum is being so accommodating."

Eugene Nicholson, senior keeper of technology at Bradford Industrial Museum, said: "There's 160 years of knowledge of printing with the volunteers we have here.

"We're not charging the museum for this and we can use our technology to help them find out what they've got."

The printing blocks are made of wood, metal and other materials.

It is hoped the exhibition will be ready to be displayed some time next year.