Rare Type Specimens at the Open Library

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Villain Baroque

Here is another rare pearl in the web that I want to share with my avid readers. It’s a collection of Vintage Type Specimens Books at the OpenLibrary. Many of the pictures from these books (PUBLIC DOMAIN) make great wall-art for your virtual printing shop in Second Life. These pictures includes specimens of many fonts as well as printing related ads from this era. Ever wondered what the price for a letterpress (mint-quality!) was in 1897? Well, read the books.

Too make life easier for you I uploaded several destained examples and put them into a FREEBIE box at my Secondlife Printing Store. Go and get them.

And if you want to share some other printing-related pictures as well, please send them to me in-world. I will put them into this box as well. Don’t forget to enclose a notecard with the source of your picture since I will check if it is a PUBLIC DOMAIN picture prior to putting it into this box.

Here are a few examples:

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The beginning of modern printing

Posted on November 4, 2011 by Villain Baroque

Our sister blog  »Stainless Steam« just posted an article about the archives of the »Scientific American« opening it’s archives  for free through November 2011. A chance you should not miss!

Read about the beginning of modern printing from a contemporary point of view. Some of the articles have beautiful illustrations others have the “NO WHITESPACE” layout typical for the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Here are few chronologically sorted links to get you started:

Have fun browsing through these issues from the past.

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moredays.com – Printing a book of your virtual notes

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Villain Baroque

moredays.com: Your virtual life printed as a book

Well, isn’t the web fascinating, even outside Second Life? I just stumbled about the website moredays.com.

They promise a revolutionary new way how we plan our stuff. Just another website that promises to get us organized in no time?

The beautiful graphics made me curious (Yes, I know that I have my shallow momnets) and I took a closer look. It’s a trully unique and  appealing way to organize your life. The possibility to merge photos, text and other information just like in a moleskin sketch book made me think of a way to utilize it in Second Life. True, I have many more appointments in RL than in SL, but even in my virtual life I have to remember several rezzdays and jubilees, I have weddings to attend to and watch an artist’s live perfomance at some club. Furthermore I have tasks to complete as a builder. moredays.com could be the almost perfect solution for that, could it?

Nice, but why post about it at the Virtual Printers Blog? It’s something extraordinary they offer as well.

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Letterpress XXXL

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Villain Baroque

XXXL Letterpress

This has to be the largest letterpress ever build in Second Life. It measures 20 meters from top to bottom. I sat down on the press to give you a reference point.

While being there I almost expected a team of the Guiness Book of Records to show up and take some pictures of the largest existing letterpress. It’s not only exceptional large but it uses many prims as well. I counted 1979 prims. It’s still work under construction but you can pull the lever and watch how the stamp moves up and down.

You find this letterpress on the Research Island for Loughborough University.

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A gem to be shared

Posted on September 17, 2011 by Villain Baroque

Surfing the web I stumbled over a gem that I have to share with you. The website Sheaff : ephemera displays many trade cards  from the »Gaslight era«.

This alone would justify a post on this blog … but what makes this website a true jewel is their huge collection of trade cards promoting printers, ink manufacturers, ink roller makers, stationery firms and paper suppliers.

Take a look at these trade cards and bow to the craft that created such stunning cards in former times.

“Nos esse quasi nanos, gigantium humeris insidentes.” (English: “We are but dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants“).

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Trilby’s Mill

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Villain Baroque

Trilby's Mill at Caledon SouthEnd

Papermaking, letterpress printing, fine book binding and more is what you will find at Trilby’s Mill in Caledon.

It’s a most unusual place with it’s very own magic that displays the various talents of Trilby Minotaur.

Visit the ground floor to get one of the Freebie dresses made by her. These dresses are based on various endsheets of old books. I have never seen the like before – clever idea. And don’t forget to get a copy of her »Nipping Press Hat«.

Proceed further on this floor and you will learn how paper is made. It’s a very informative place. Did you know that the western method of paper making differs from the one used in Asia? I didn’t.

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24 Hour Printing Service

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Villain Baroque

Sirdazzle Dexter used to own a printing shop in RL as he told me. You can see his expertise in the love for detail he used in creating his little shop. If you are interested in seeing a fine collection of printing presses visiting Sirdazzle Dexter’s shop is a Must. The shop is opened 24 hours a day and when you enter you will notice the pleasant smell of paper and ink at once.

It is one of the few places where you will find a rezzed »Pearl1893 Printing Press« created by RJ Kikuchiyo. It uses 201 prims but is worth every single one.

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The party is over – see you again next year

Posted on July 3, 2011 by Villain Baroque

The gates are closed again and the birthday celebrations are over. We will be back in 2012 to celebrate when Second Life turns nine. I met many interesting people, made new friends and saw strange and inspiring exhibits – I had a good time celebrating Second Life’s 8th birthday.

Our academical mastermind Ephraim Dalglish prepared several panels for our exhibit. It would be a shame to let them rust in some dark virtual cellar of Linden Labs. Therefore I decided to give them a second life and post them on this blog. Touch Click them to enlarge them.

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Original Zeitmesser Letterpress

Posted on June 12, 2011 by Villain Baroque

 

The fully working »Original Zeitmesser Letterpress« enables you to print posters in Second Life.  This printing press created by our guild’s founding member Villain Baroque is going to catch the eye of everyone comming near it.

Highly detailed textures and craftfully created animations bring this apparatus to life. Just press the lever and the machine starts printing. The paper ist automatically transported by two arms from the tray with the empty paper to the press and to the tray with the printed papers. It looks very realistic.

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Exhibit at Second Life’s 8th Birthday Celebration

Posted on May 29, 2011 by Villain Baroque

We are proud to announce that we have been chosen for an exhibit at Second Life’s 8th birthday celebration. The exhibit was baptized »Printers of the Mind: The Art and History of Printing in Second Life«.

We celebrate the 450-year history of the art of printing and its rebirth in Second Life through the recreation of the printing presses and printing technology of the past. Visit the exhibit to learn about the history and art of printing, and to view the presses that brought literacy, information, literature and, perhaps, even freedom to the world.

The gates to the birthday sims are open from June 20th to July 2nd. Visit our exhibit on the sim SL8B Captivate.

We have posted a few pictures of the exhibit on flickr.

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