A broadside is an historic printing form: a piece of paper with printing only on one side. Broadsides were posted around communities for news and advertising prior to the digital age, and were re-appropriated as an art form by small press printers in the 20th century. This workshop is in conjunction with Penn Libraries Made (By Hand) in the Midwest: The Contre Coup Press, 1979-2019 exhibit.

Practice letterpress printing and typesetting as you design and print your own broadside featuring a short poem or excerpt of your choosing. We will look and examples and then explore how to make a stunning design using only typography and formatting. Come prepared with 1 to 5 line poem or excerpt.

Open to all, registration required. You will need either a PennCard or a photo ID to enter the building. If you don't have a PennCard, you will need to bring a photo ID and sign in at the security desk at the entrance to Fisher Fine Arts Library for access. See University access guidelines here.

Instructor Jessica Peterson in the director of Common Press, the typographic research studio at University of Pennsylvania. Before this, she was the owner and operator of The Southern Letterpress in New Orleans. She has an MFA from University of Alabama Book Arts program. Her work is collected in public and private collections around the country.