Large Vintage Industrial Printer’s Letterpress Tray / Drawer

What’s the story?

Originally, this printer’s tray would’ve been in a large chest with many other thin, wide drawers, each containing a different set of letterpress fonts for printing. Individual letters would have been collected and set into wooden lines of text, inked and then printed. The tray is sectioned into lots of miniature compartments, and each would’ve housed multiples of letters, numbers and punctuation. These days, letterpress printing is an artisan skill, replaced by computerised print systems. But these salvaged drawers are packed with history and character. Mounted on the wall, they make superb aged, vintage frames with tiny shelves for displaying small treasures or just as wall art in their own right. This one comes with its handle on the side still. They’re wonderful for children’s bedrooms where they might be hoarding a collection of very small things (Lego figures spring to mind!). They also look very special displaying natural things, gathered from outside – a special pebble, a dried flower, a cone, a seed head. We’ve added to discreet D rings on the back to aid hanging. It comes knocked and bruised from its industrial past but in its day, this would have been a busy ‘working’ piece and this wear is very much part of its appeal.

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