High Quality Exhibits from The High House Press
You can never have too many striking images of Gold Hill. This woodcut engraving was made in the early 1930s by the youthful John R. Biggs (1909-88), a recent graduate of the Derby School of Art. James Masters, the co-proprietor of The High House Press in Shaftesbury with his wife Beatrice, had advertised for an extra pair of hands (literally) to help with the hand-crafted output of the Press. Examples from this highly regarded artisanal publishing concern are now on show, until July and for free, at Gold Hill Museum. Biggs contributed 9 of the 14 woodcuts to one of their most prestigious publications Shaftesbury: the Shaston of Thomas Hardy. In lieu of payment, Masters gave his young assistant a fount of type called Cloister for which Masters had no further use. At home Biggs had a second-hand Albion press, bought for 30 shillings from an insolvent Derby newspaper, but no type to use with it..
Biggs was a lodger at the High House, the home of the Masters, which still stands opposite the junction of the High Street with Mustons Lane. The room over the shop, facing the High Street, was the dining room and printery, with their Albion press in a corner by the window. It seemed quite natural to be eating beside the press with proofs lying around. James … was dedicated to printing … and prepared to work well into the night to get the press-work right. He was the first artist-craftsman in print that I had met and he was an example and an inspiration. (John R. Biggs, writing in the Book in Hand’s 1983 facsimile edition of the Shaston of Thomas Hardy)
We are grateful to Claire Ryley, Jill Clasby and Gina Patrick for researching The High House Press from items kindly deposited at Gold Hill Museum archives by Beatrice Masters, and for staging this temporary exhibition. Claire, who also provided most of the images used in this blog, writes:
The exhibition showcases the work of James and Beatrice Masters who set up an Albion press in their front room in High House. They hand printed limited editions of classical texts, poetry and prose on handmade paper and with woodcut illustrations. The woodcuts were made by James and John Biggs who later went on to have an eminent career in craftsmanship. The press operated between 1924 and 1936, and was recognised for its exemplary publications. Beatrice Masters generously donated many woodcuts, prints, books and letters to Gold Hill Museum. Most people will not know of this slice of history on our High Street, so we are delighted to be able to share the Masters’ archive and artefacts with visitors in this new exhibition.
