Printing Trade Classes, Leicester Municipal Art School and Leicester College of Arts and Crafts

Annual publication showcasing the work designed and executed by students of the Printing Trade classes at the Leicester Municipal Art School and later the Leicester College of Arts and Crafts. The individual publications have been bound into three volumes, with one exception which has been left loose as a pamphlet.

The publications contain examples primarily of lithography and typography although there is also some bookbinding. An introduction in each publication includes information about the course, statistics of student enrolment, information for prospective students, lists of staff and a description of the work of the department. There is some reaction to current events such as the First World War. The pamphlets were presumably intended both as a marketing showcase of the designs executed by students and as a way of celebrating the most talented students in each year. There appears to have been collaboration with other departments, for example, producing lithographic copies of drawings made by art students.

Classes in printing were first offered at the Leicester School of Art in the 1901-02 session. They were part of an 'Applied Art' course and at first only lithography could be studied. By 1905 classes had expanded to a separate 'Printing and Allied Trades' course arranged in conjunction with Leicester Master Printers Association. Classes were offered for 'lithographic artists and designers for the printing trade', 'bookbinders', and 'typographers'. By the 1930s the Leicester College Of Art included a Department of Printing and Book Production which held separate courses in 'lithographic printing', 'lithographic draughtsmanship', 'bookbinding and machine ruling', 'composing', 'letterpress machining', 'monotype' and 'costing for printers'. In the 1960s the Department was renamed the School of Printing, adding classes in 'hand composing', 'line composing' and 'photo-lithography'. Experimentation was encouraged using a wide range of equipment and machinery offered in the College workshops. Students could work towards the qualifications of the City and Guilds Institute.

In 1969 the College of Art became part of Leicester Polytechnic and the departments were merged and shuffled. Subjects taught by the School of Printing became part of the new Graphic Design course.

Three volumes in chronological order.

Open and available for general access. External researchers are advised to contact the Archivist for an appointment.

Part of the institutional archive of the University.

Catalogued by Katharine Short, Archivist, August 2013.

Photography is permitted for private research purposes only, where the binding of the volume will not be damaged during the process.

Other publications produced by the College appear to have been done in-house by the Department of Printing and Book Production. See for example the Leicester College of Art Diaries (D/025), War Work booklet (D/043), Roll of Honour (D/042) and the covers of some prospectuses (D/009).