October 1, 2014

Jim Sherraden of Hatch Show Print visits BGSUGD

Posted in News.

The BGSU Department of Graphic Design, BGSU School of Art, and AIGA Toledo are recently enjoyed a visit from Jim Sherraden of Hatch Show Print to the BGSU Campus.

Students learned of the rich history of letterpress print and it’s continued tradition within the graphic design community as a counterpoint to the modern digital age. After Jim’s lecture, the students were treated to a second day of activities where Jim visited classrooms and interacted one on one with BGSUGD students answering questions, informing them about methods and practices of letterpress, and sharing behind the scenes moments of working at the historic Hatch Show Print.

Jim Sherraden is Master Printer and Archivist at Hatch Show Print, one of America’s oldest surviving show poster and design shops. Since 1984 he has overseen its transition from a cultural survivor to a widely recognized graphic design icon and destination for letterpress enthusiasts. He is the co-writer of Hatch Show Print, The History of A Great American Poster Shop, published by Chronicle Books, now in its sixth printing. He is also the creator of one of-a-kind pieces of art called monoprints, based on the shops archive, which are collected by individuals and institutions worldwide. He is a frequent speaker and conducts letterpress workshops from coast to coast. Sherraden is the recipient of the 2013 Distinguished Artist Award, for the state of Tennessee, and is the American Advertising Federation Nashville 2013 Silver Medalist.

Hatch Show Print is a one-of-a-kind, extraordinary letterpress poster and design shop located in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1879, Hatch is still designing and printing over 600 jobs a year, using the original wood type found on countless posters advertising carnivals, circuses, and vaudeville and minstrel shows. The shop is historically best known for its country music posters, and, since 1992, has operated as a non-profit division of the Country Music Hall of Fame(R) and Museum. Jim’s presentation begins with the very first poster printed at Hatch before speeding through over one hundred years of hand-set graphic design. Not resting on its heritage, Hatch operates under the mantra of “preservation through production.” Recent Hatch Show Print customers range from Pearl Jam to Minnie Pearl, Springsteen to a Spring Fling, Morrissey to a meat butcher. Design customers include Taschen, Country Living, People magazine, Fossil, Nordstrom, and the neighbor’s Bar Mitzvah.


Recent exhibits include a four year tour with the Smithsonian Institution, as well as multiple university galleries. As of October 2013, Hatch Show Print has relocated to a custom-designed space in the Country Music Hall of Fame(R) and Museum.

To view more information about how BGSUGD has collaborated with Hatch, click here.