Tilley Printing and Martin Clark Master Printer

Martin Clark, Master Printer and proprietor of Tilley printing, oversees the printing of each of our letterpress posters. Printed in small batches, these posters have all of the quirks and inherent characteristics typical of letterpress, making each poster a unique and beautiful piece of work.

For anyone who has visited the Tilley Printing premises you will know what a special and unique place it is with a history stretching long before Martin took over ownership. Originally established in 1875, Tilley printing was one of many businesses run by the Tilley family. Luke Tilley was the archetypal entrepreneur whose business sense and hard work resulted in the family dominating many areas of trade in the thriving market town of Ledbury.

For the first half of the twentieth century Miss Leonie Tilley was the proprietor and instigator of some considerable modernisation of the premises including the introduction of electric power to replace the steam generator and in the 1930’s Tilley’s collection of type was expanded to hold many avant garde type faces of the day. During the middle of the century the Heidleberg Platens were introduced transforming the production of Letterpress printed material.

Martin’s personal history and involvement with Tilley’s began with his five year apprenticeship at the tender age of 15, later going on to achieve his status as a Master Printer. During his career, which has included some time working at the Oxford University Press, Martin has maintained the traditional skills and craftsmanship of the Letterpress Printer.

Tilley Printing may possibly claim to be unique in the fact it remains a ‘Jobbing Letterpress Printers’ still housed in it’s original premises since 1875.

You can read more about Martin and Tilley Printing on our blog here.

Jonny Hannah Illustrator and printmaker

Born and bred in Dunfermline, Jonny Hannah now lives on the Southampton coast but his imagination resides in ‘Darktown’. Not found on any map, this mysterious town is inhabited by jazz artists, fairground stalls, tattooed sailors and lipstick-bright pin-up girls.

Jonny Hannah studied illustration at Liverpool Art School where he was taught by illustrator Peter Bailey, before completing his training in 1998 at The Royal College of Art. Jonny’s love of jazz music is abundantly evident in his illustrations – full of strong colours and typography reminiscent of shop signs and concert posters from the 1940s and ’50s. Under the name Cakes and Ale Press, Jonny prints his own books, posters and prints. As an illustrator his clients have included Penguin Books, The Sunday Telegraph, The New York Times and English National Opera.