Printing History at TU

When The Towerlight student newspaper designs its layout, how do they do it? Like most publications, they turn to computer programs - InDesign, Photoshop, etc. These programs are able to make colorful, dynamic content fairly quickly, and have revolutioned print design in the past few decades.

But how did Towson's campus publications print images before the advent of computers? A collection in the Special Collections and University Archives sheds light on the pre-digital process of designing, creating, and printing illustrations and photographs.

The Towson University Printing Block Collection includes 72 printing blocks that were used and re-used in the school's newspapers, yearbooks, and campus publications from 1927 to 1951.

This exhibit will examine how different blocks were made, the images they created, and the context in which they were used.