Today we're here for the...
For the what?
Hello Bloggineers. We are at the International Printing Museum for the Independence Day Celebration.
Opened in 1988, this museum brings the history of books, printing, and the book arts to life.
First we're getting a stamp in our Passport 2 History booklet for our visit.
Today, we'll be celebrating our country's birthday with the founding fathers:
John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin.
The day's festivities include special working tour of the museum collection.
[Man] This little press here we have is called a proofing.
[Man] So you know when you're doing your homework and you want to make sure that everything is right, you go back and check it.
[Man] This is the type of press you would use to check your work.
[Man] What we're gonna do here, you see all this black ink here. We're gonna take a little bit of it and roll it around.
[Man] We're gonna roll it across our letters and then down here. Okay, you wanna grab the handle and we'll roll it across?
There are many hands-on exhibits like this where we get to keep what we print.
[Man] This press was invented by a Baptist minister in the late 1790s.
[Man] He wanted to print a church newspaper, and he couldn't afford to buy a press. So he invented his own press.
And here's the first edition of the LA Times.
Next the man is demonstrating the java press with the typeset in a chase.
Now Brother is making his own print.
Next we're eating lunch, which is included with the event.
We're having freedom dogs an American apple pie.
Then there was a music and dancing.
And my dad even joined it.
We're back to looking at the printing presses.
The man is rolling on the ink, placing the paper,
and I'm helping him turn the wheel.
It's a copy of the Declaration.
Then this man is teaching us a history of the document.
[Man] This is a declaration.
[Man] This says a unanimous declaration. Very important.
Now he's showing us how to make the type.
[Man] And you hit it with a hammer.
[Man] Creates a mold.
[Man] It's liquid.
[Man] And it becomes hard.
[Man] Once I have that letter I can cast multiples of it.
[Man] I'm going to knock this tail off file it down.
[Man] Now all my letters are gonna stand exactly the same height: point nine one eighths of an inch.
Next we're learning about the most famous printer.
[Man] This is the Gutenberg Press.
Then he got interrupted.
[Boy] Hear ye, hear ye. Now hear this.
[Boy] The house is open for the Confounding Brothers in our theatre.
[Boy] First come first serve seating.
The man continues.
[Man] Before I ink them up, I'll show you these.
[Man] These are called ink balls.
[Man] So what you want to do is dip them in ink.
I am helping him with the demonstration.
Then it happened again.
[Boy] Hear ye, hear ye. Now hear this.
We better hurry it up so we can see the show.
Tada, here's our print.
Lastly we're watching the Confounding Brothers,
a humorous and thought-provoking account of the creation of the Declaration of Independence and how our nation came to be.
[Benjamin Franklin] Well, there's one thing I've learned in my illustrious career is never to argue with a lawyer.
Especially when you have to all in the same room.
We have so much fun at the International Printing Museum.
Please hit the subscribe button and remember to look for your own adventure.