This year's event will be held November 8-10, 2024 in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. The Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum annual Wayzgoose conference hosts designers, printers, typographers and letter geeks of all stripes from across the globe. It is a weekend filled with type talk, great speakers, and lots of letterpress.
Times below are stated in Central. Schedule Subject to Change.
We’re hosting seven engaging and hands-on workshops this year!
You must pre-register online in order to participate in a workshop.
Workshops break from 12-1pm for lunch. The purchase of boxed lunches are optional but must be done during registration.
See behind the scenes—learn about the history of the Hamilton Manufacturing Company and the exciting things the museum is doing today.
Boxed lunches must have been pre-purchased during registration.
Welcome Activities
Experience the Museum and spend time with old friends and new, wandering and talking, and participate in these open experiences (No registration is required to participate!).
See behind the scenes—learn about the history of the Hamilton Manufacturing Company and the exciting things the museum is doing today.
Keynote speaker Annie Atkins will be available to sign her books, Fake Love Letters, Forged Telegrams, and Prison Escape Maps: Designing Graphic Props for Filmmaking and the soon-to-be-released Letters from the North Pole.
Limited copies will be available in the Dry Goods store for purchase.
The books are also available for preorder during registration for those who wish to guarantee their copies. Preordered books can be picked up at Wayzgoose registration.
Wood Type & Border Production Presentation
Jen Anne »
See wood type being produced on the museum’s pantographs. Learn about the entire process of making wood type, from half round to finished piece. Then, see our one-of-a-kind, restored border stamping machine in action, producing decorative wood borders.
Finding Faith in Print
At Hamilton Wayzgoose, I would like to share my journey over the last decade. Creating artist books and prints has been a voyage of self-discovery. Through each creation, I’ve found solace and purpose, even when feeling isolated in my craft.
One of the most significant pieces is “Homage to NMAAHC,” a flag book that pays tribute to the National Museum of African American History & Culture. And one of my most recent prints is the Bent Letterpress poster, featuring Dr. King’s powerful quote: “A man can’t ride your back unless it’s bent.” It reminds me to be resilient in the face of adversity.
In collaboration with Lauren Emeritz, “SPACE: Known/Unknown” delves into book arts, using “space” as a metaphor. Our series of 14 sewn-bound artist books invites viewers to explore the interplay between the familiar and the unknown.
Moreover, “A Mother’s Love” Print celebrates the legacy of my grandmother, Mary Ruth. Despite only having an eighth-grade education, she was a prolific writer, and I honor her through this print. Scanning images of her poetry into Photoshop and turning them into polymer plates, I created a variable edition that celebrates her, her handwriting, and her sacrifice. Each print is a tribute to her resilience and love, reminding me of her enduring influence on my creative journey.
Through my presentation, I will show and talk about my transformative journey from liking to hating and then falling in love with letterpress. I hope to celebrate the power of print to shape personal and collective narratives, finding faith in our creative identities together.
Vernacular Spectacular
Based in Dublin, Ireland, Annie is best known for her career as a graphic artist in the film industry, having designed for many Oscar-nominated-and-winning movies, such as Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel, Isle of Dogs, and French Dispatch, as well as Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies and West Side Story, and classic children’s films such as the latest Chicken Run and Indiana Jones movies. Her first book, Fake Love Letters, Forged Telegrams, and Prison Escape Maps, prompted Jeff Goldblum to write that “Annie makes the unreal seem hyperreal, and the real more supremely alive and utterly magical”. Her next book, Letters from the North Pole, is a children’s picture book and will be published by Magic Cat in October 2024.
Join Annie Atkins, renowned graphic artist for films such as The Grand Budapest Hotel and Indiana Jones, on this whirlwind tour through the highs and lows of designing in character.
Join us for a delightful evening of type talk and fine refreshments.
Pre-registered vendors only.
The Wayzgoose Swap & Sale is unlike any other conference event.
The Swap Portion: Anyone can bring prints to swap.
Before you arrive at Wayzgoose create something that you would like to share with the Wayzgoose community.
Then be prepared on Saturday morning to swap with other attendees that also brought prints that they would like to trade.
The Sale Portion: There are 25+ vendor tables to peruse for purchasing prints and print-related goods.
A great chance to explore the options in downtown Two Rivers. Some areas of the museum closed for dinner set-up.
Wood Type Lives! Making Wood Type Today.
Embark on an illuminating journey with a panel of today’s foremost wood-type artisans, each representing a distinct and crucial maker methodology: CNC, laser cutting, and traditional pantograph router cutting. Prepare to be captivated as each panelist unveils their closely guarded production secrets in dynamic five-minute presentations. Through a seamless blend of videos, images, and captivating narratives, they will guide you through their step-by-step process.
Leading the discussion is wood type expert Geri McCormick from Virgin Wood Type, ensuring insightful moderation throughout. Joining the conversation are Scott Moore (Moore Wood Type), James Grieshaber (Virgin Wood Type) and Ryan Molloy. Together, they will delve into why modern wood type remains an indispensable element in the realm of creative letterpress printing.
This panel will discuss the myriad challenges confronting contemporary wood type makers, from wood sourcing to achieving type height, from uncovering elusive font patterns to pioneering new designs. They will also unravel the complexities of reproducing fonts across various line sizes, underscore the significance of meticulous finishing, and explore the cost-effectiveness of novel type production methods.
Expect discussions on groundbreaking wood typefaces and imagery such as an innovative untitled chromatic Hebrew font, a revival of Page No. 504 called Salida, and the making of Swiss Arrow Handy Boxes for the Provisional Press. As the session concludes, the panelists and moderator eagerly await your questions, so come armed with inquiries and prepare to engage with the modern masters of wood type design and production.
Body Politic: a collaboration
Tonja Torgerson and Christa Carleton will present on their collaborative series ‘Body Politic’. Printmakers Carleton and Torgerson work together to highlight the tumultuous position of the body and gender roles. Using letterpress, screenprint, and woodcut, their prints reference broadsides, and the use of print-media to create and destabilize current ideas about our bodies.
Split between Indiana and Montana, the artists respond to one another and these topics layer by layer, building a dialogue across the country and within each print. Carleton and Torgerson will delve into the intricacies of their collaborative process, offering insights into their use of the figurative nude as a tool for critiquing the modern societal landscape while sharing about the creation of ‘Body Politic’ and its ongoing outcomes.
Print Futures LIVE
Print Futures is back by popular demand! Hear from three Print Futures all-stars LIVE. Rapid-fire presentations from emerging printers Gabby Rivera, Maggie Murphy, and Tess LeNoir will get you excited about the future of letterpress. Pushing the boundaries of letterpress tools, text, and image, these new voices in letterpress not only move the craft forward, they give us an inspiring glimpse of where the field of letterpress printing could go in their capable hands. Let’s give them all a warm Wayzgoose welcome!
Print Futures provides a new, unique platform for upward mobility in the letterpress community. To date, Print Futures has featured 28 emerging artists and educators, whose virtual lightning talks and ensuing discussions build bridges, encourage, and support the next generation of printers. Print Futures is co-produced semi-annually by Partners in Print (PiP) and Letterpress Educators of Art & Design (LEAD).
Typecasting Revival: Engraving and Electrodepositing New Matrices
Typecasting is alive and well- learn how this tradition is staying vibrant. Val Lucas has worked with her mentor, Jim Walczak, to learn the art of engraving new casting matrices for the Monotype Sorts Caster. She is creating brand new borders and ornaments of her own design, and to date, has designed five sets of type for printers to play with. While these designs are new creations, she’s also been working with Ian Edelson of Small Capital Press to electrodeposit matrices from existing type to re-create old ornaments that are no longer available. Ian has re-engineered the electrodepositing method to create a new casting matrix, and together, they’ve successfully grown a new mat and used it to cast new type.
A Short History of the Gugler Lithographic Company
The Gugler Lithographic Company was founded in Milwaukee in 1878 by German immigrant Henry Gugler and his two sons, Julius and Henry Jr. The Guglers started small, printing letterhead and checks for businesses. The firm gained a national audience when they landed Pabst Brewing Company as client. Gugler printed the brewing giant’s product labels, stationery, and promotional materials such as posters and showcards. By World War II, Gugler was one of Wisconsin’s largest operating printing companies, printing everything from food can labels to billboards for a local and national clientele. The company remained a family business for nearly 80 years until 1956 when Ralph Gugler died. In 1966, the firm was acquired by Journal Communications, and by 2005 the Gugler brand ceased to exist at all.
The Milwaukee Public Library is proud to have 1,136 posters printed by the Gugler Company, and a set of Gugler sample books dating from 1891 through 1944. These materials can be viewed by appointment at Milwaukee’s Central Library, and there is an ongoing project to digitize this collection for researchers to access online.
Worst Hits: 25 years of failing up at Starshaped Press
What can go wrong in printing? Everything.
Turn printing into a business and the opportunity to fail increases exponentially! Instead of showcasing the successes of running Starshaped Press for the past 25 years, Jen will focus on the unpleasant side rarely shared in public but communally experienced by small businesses. This ranges from client miscommunications, accounting missteps, damaged papers, equipment fails and life emergencies. In spite of setbacks, these painful and sometimes humiliating experiences are regular coursework in the School of Hard Knocks and can lead to surprising learning opportunities. We’ll discuss ways to meet challenges and move through the difficulties to grow a creative practice, a business, and the attitude to take the misses with the hits.
Get an update on all things Hamilton from museum leadership.
Letterpress "Forever": Printing a First-class Stamp
What is it like to work as an art director for the United States Postal Service? How is stamp artwork chosen? What exactly goes into preparing that one square inch that will last forever? USPS art director Antonio Alcala will demystify the stamp making process from concept to finished piece, and highlight projects where letterpress is the star. Heather Moulder will join him to talk about her experience creating the 2024 Bluegrass stamp artwork, and the impact a project like this can have in a rural community.
The Golden Age of Sign Design: The lost sketches of Beverly Sign Co.
In the summer of 2022 a small group of Chicago sign painters worked to preserve two large wood panel signs that were painted on a building slated for demolition. The uncovering of these 1920s and 1930s signs lead to a discovery that one the signs was painted by Jack Briggs of Chicago, IL. Jack Briggs went on to start Beverly Sign Co on the Southside of Chicago. This revelation led the painters to a large collection of Beverly Sign Co drawings saved by a young union sign painter in the 70s, who had held onto them for the past 50 plus years. With the drawings the team published a book about the Beverly Sign Co titled; The Golden Era of Sign Design : The Rediscovered Drawings of Chicago’s Beverly Sign Co. This collection of drawings are a look into the development of modernist sign design and exemplify the work of some of Chicago’s best lettering artists and designers. Beverly Sign Co was renowned for developing the design method of “Panelization” and what was ultimately termed the “Chicago Look”, which utilizes bold shapes and colors to break up text and catch the viewers attention. This design approach along with the studied and snappy lettering styles went on to influence an entire generation of sign makers from the mid-century onward to today. Much of modernist sign design is based on the design principles developed by the designers at Beverly Sign Co, including Ken Millar, Clyde Sellars, and Mike Borda, who’s original drawings are now compiled in the book.
this is also TYPOGRAPHY: an exploration into creating tangible typography using 3D printing.
The relationship between technology and design has always been intertwined, and there is a growing demand for the combination of typography and 3D printing. Notably, 3D printing has become more refined, common, and accessible, offering new tools to push the boundaries of typography in terms of concept and medium. Since the advent of printing technologies, designers and printers have dedicated centuries to effectively conveying information via visual materials to audiences.
Humans have five basic senses, and touch, being the first to develop, plays a crucial role in how we perceive the world. Visuals and touch are closely linked, and touch can significantly enhance the user’s experience with printed text. Digital fabrication can revolutionize how we perceive printed text, as tangible type combines both senses and provides a rich, intuitive, fun, and memorable tactile experience. For this project, various conventional and unconventional materials in 3D printing, such as ceramic, plastic, elastic material, wax, metal, and even soap, were used to explore the challenges and potential for tangible typography.
This project is not just a creative endeavor, but a practical innovation with potential applications in professional practices and educational settings, such as typography, graphic design, and digital fabrication courses. The outcome provides multi-dimensional experiences, making it a valuable tool for designing for people with vision impairment, showcasing the real-world impact and value of this innovative approach.
True Tales From a Letterpress Shop Death Doula
As Director of Operations for the Museum of Printing, Mitchel Ahern is present at the scene of dozens of letterpress shop end-of-life events, where he says things like, “I know this is an emotional time, but I do thank you, and your father, for preserving these historic printing artifacts,” and “We appreciate your stewardship of these materials for the next generation of printers and print historians,” and “Wow, this is a lot of stuff - is there any other way out of the basement?”
In this presentation, Mitchel will tell true stories of retrieving mountains of printing materials on a short timeline; managing expectations of the family, the pain of leaving things behind, discovering cartons of materials left at the museum, the promise and terror of the phrase “we’ll just drop it off”, dealing with cranky old printers, how to deal with questionable materials, and what exactly does “dock height” mean.
He will cover the ambiguity of donation descriptions, packing, crating, getting things out of cellars, and into cars, trucks, vans and trailers. He’ll talk about identifying presses, type, and strange objects that might, or might not, have something to do with printing. There will be discussion of selling presses, type, cabinets, paper, ink and other material to printers, decorators and the general public.
Home Body Land
At various moments in our lives, many of us find ourselves questioning where our true home is and where it should be.
The experience of being an immigrant can uniquely shape one’s understanding of home. Immigrants often face the painful remark of being told to “go home” by their neighbors, prompting many to reevaluate their perceptions of home as a mental and emotional space rather than just a physical one.
Vida has also grappled with these questions. In her work, she has come to see the body as a portable home—a place where one always belongs. As a printer, she uses her craft to broaden the concept of home. By bringing wood type from Croatia to the United States, she has established a studio that transcends geographical boundaries and creates a sense of belonging.
Her practice will be showcased through the development and production of her work titled “Home Body Land,” which was printed at the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum. This series consists of four large prints, each measuring 58 inches high and 44 inches wide, with an edition of four for each print. Each print features large wood type from Hamilton’s collection, hand-inked and printed on white Stonehenge paper. The prints draw inspiration from her writing and her teaching practice with immigrant students, who play a crucial role in shaping her approach to this project. Vida will discuss their contributions to the ideas that form the foundation of this work.
“Home Body Land” will be part of the exhibition “Making an Impression: Immigrant Printing in Chicago” at the Newberry Library, curated by Jill Gage. The exhibit opens in December 2024. In her presentation, Vida will reference the artists and materials featured in the exhibit and highlight their work.
Amplifying Diverse Voices through the Power of Print
Letterpress printing is a powerful act of human expression that can inspire connection and dialogue. For 40 years, Minnesota Center for Book Arts has been cultivating community through educational and artistic programs centered around letterpress printing at its studios in the Open Book building in downtown Minneapolis and through community partnerships.
To increase access to letterpress printing for the diverse communities that call Minneapolis home, in 2021 MCBA commissioned the creation of new wood type that would allow more languages to be printed. MCBA worked with the Hamilton Wood Type Museum to create diacritic marks to be printed with MCBA’s existing wood type (English language characters) to print Swedish, Spanish, and other languages. Then, MCBA identified languages that contain about 30 or fewer characters that can be arranged to print any word in the language. Of those languages, MCBA considered cultural community-based organizations the organization had an active relationship with and a desire to letterpress print in that language, and commissioned the creation of Arabic and Hebrew wood type language sets. Hamilton cut the diacritic marks and Hebrew type from maple using a pantograph machine and a chisel. The Arabic typeface was designed by type designer Nadine Chahine and cut using a CNC router by Ryan Molloy.
Since commissioning the type, MCBA has been leveraging this unique asset to build community and amplify artists’ voices. This talk will focus on the artistic and community projects made possible by this new type, and MCBA’s plans for continuing to build our wood type collection and expand access to the empowering act of letterpress printing.