Rob Wilson practices a technique that dates back hundreds of years, using machines from the 19th and early 20th century for letterpress printing. He uses his hands, and sometimes even his feet. 

"Basically letterpress printing is taking letters that are individual blocks of metal or wood and putting them into a design that you want, and then you spread ink over the surface and take that and press it into a piece of paper” explained Wilson, who is art director and operations manager at Bowne and Co. Stationers, part of the South Street Seaport Museum.

It is part museum space with its collection of vintage machines, part working print shop. It’s been in business since 1775. Wilson studied graphic design at the University of Arizona, where they also had a collection of letterpress printing equipment. 

"With every printer I ever met, I was the annoying kid that never left, so I worked with a bunch of printers in Arizona, and then came out for graduate school here at Pratt, and then was very lucky that when I graduated the two people who were running Bowne at the time were leaving”, said Wilson, who is part of a crew of two that both educates and prints invitations, business cards and stationary.

While the indoor areas of the museum remain closed to the public because of the pandemic, the printing did resume over the summer and Bowne and Co. opened an online shop recently. At a time where digital printing is prevalent, Wilson says he's OK with being stuck in the past.

"We have so much control even with a machine that's one hundred years old over exactly how much pressure we are using, how deep that press is, exactly what color it is”, said Wilson, who has been at the shop for five years not only teaching the history of printing and its impact on the growth of New York City but actually doing it too. 

To find out more check out: SouthStreetSeaportMuseum.org.