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The Ancora Press

The Centre for the Book at Monash University includes a well-equipped press room, the ‘Ancora Press’, where printing by hand is practised. As well as referring to the physical plant itself, ‘Ancora Press’ is used as an imprint on matter produced there. Ancora (initially as ‘The Bibliographical Laboratory’), was set up in 1976, with the foundation of the Graduate School of Librarianship, and initially it was sponsored by Librarianship, English and the Monash University Library; it is now governed by the School of English, Communications and Performance Studies. For thirty years it was housed at various locations on the Clayton campus, but in early 2007 it was removed to the Caulfield campus, where it has established a relationship with Art and Design.

Photo: Brian McMullin at the Har-Ma press

Brian McMullin at the Har-Ma press

Ancora was established as a bibliographical press – i.e. its function was to demonstrate the processes of setting type by hand and then printing from it on a flat-bed press. A knowledge of these processes was particularly expected of: students enrolled in Librarianship, on the basis that they should be familiar with the materials that books were made up of; and of senior students in English (and appropriate students in any other discipline), who needed to understand the physical aspects of bookmaking as a preliminary to studying the transmission of texts. Over the years students have printed keepsakes and undertaken other pieces of jobbing work, while an interested group, meeting regularly, has produced booklets for sale in order to finance the acquisition of type, paper and various consumables. The press has also acted as an informal source of information, providing demonstrations for interested groups and individuals, particularly higher-degree students.

Ancora operates essentially as a late-nineteenth-century printing house, but with some later additions. The major printing press (of cast iron) is a Hopkinson and Cope (London) Albion, super royal in size, serial no. 3372, built in 1857; this is on loan from the State Library of Victoria. Also used regularly are a Wade of Halifax treadle platen-press (1890s?) and a bench-top Har-Ma, in stainless steel, built in California in 1982. These last two are limited to printing sheets of about A4 size. In addition there are other pieces of necessary equipment, such as a lead-cutter, a mitring gauge, a proofing press, two nipping presses and a small guillotine.

There are various ornaments and odd cases of foundry type, used occasionally for display, as well as a recently-acquired supply of wooden type suitable for posters. But the main type used is Bembo, a widely used book-face, still being produced in Melbourne as single pieces from a Monotype caster. Ancora uses predominantly 12-point type (roman and italic), but has useful stocks of 10-point (roman and italic) and 14-point (roman), as well as a limited stock of 18-point, 24-point and 30-point, all in roman only.

The Ancora Press specialises in printing, from manuscript or earlier print, modest-sized texts of works that members of the group think worthy of printing, or that others have suggested to them as being worthy, either because they have never been printed or because they deserve reviving. The subject matter is generally bookish or literary. Most publications are issued in Cockerell (marbled) or Canson paper wrappers, with the occasional one being cased.

The more-recent publications include:

Most earlier publications are still available, including a few copies of Hector Monro, The sonneteer’s history of philosophy, in Cockerell paper-covered boards ($30)

Orders may be placed with Ancora Press, The Centre for the Book (cheques made payable to ‘Monash University’). Any enquiries may be addressed to Brian.McMullin@arts.monash.edu.au or phone (03) 9803 4018.

Centre for the Book