Lightboxes and Lettering
Lightboxes & Lettering is an exhibition that celebrates the fascinating and important history of east London's print industry, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Lightboxes & Lettering, an exhibition by Rendezvous Projects, tells the story of the print industry across the 20th century, focusing on the east London boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Waltham Forest. The exhibition includes historic photographs and printed items as well as print workers’ memories, told through a new collection of oral histories.
Using archive and newly found material from companies, co-ops and radical presses, the exhibition examines and documents changes in the print industry, exploring the role east London played and the influences of new and digital technologies. Forgotten and intricate techniques are celebrated, with beautiful examples of print on display. These include booklets, catalogues, packaging and colourful posters that advertise anything from political events to music nights across east London. Rendezvous Press worked with a team of volunteers to collect the show’s material, who also produced responses to the project’s findings.
An event programme accompanies the exhibition, with chances for visitors to learn about printing techniques through making their own prints as well as find out more about specific historic presses.
About Rendezvous Projects
Rendezvous Projects is a Community Interest Company based in Waltham Forest, developing creative ways of exploring social history and providing opportunities for communities to take part in the work. The organisation is run by Iain Aitch, Rosa Ainley, Katherine Green, Lucy Harrison and Michael Needham.
Lightboxes and Lettering has been made possible with a £58,200 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project focuses on the pre-digital era of printing in Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest and the experiences of people involved in the industry.
www.lightboxeslettering.com
www.rendezvousprojects.org.uk
Find out more about the exhibition and related events here.
