I took a day trip to Nashville yesterday to see the historic Hatch Show Print which is actually housed in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Founded in 1879 by brothers Charles R. and Herbert H. Hatch, Hatch Show Print is famous for creating letterpress posters for carnivals, the circus, and many iconic country music stars and pop legends throughout the past 135 years. Many of the hand carved type and hand carved imagery still exists today and is reprinted on a fairly regular basis to keep the type in good working order. They have an extensive collection, the largest I have ever seen, and 10+ fully functioning presses that originate within a 100 year time span. The shop is preserved and operates like a museum, giving tours 3 times a day, and even outfitted with it's own gift shop. When I was there I got to see original posters created for musicians such as Elvis, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Taylor Swift, and Keith Urban among many others. Hatch continues to print and design new posters every day. The shop itself is extremely commercial and a popular tourist attraction in Nashville, giving it a much different vibe from the more independent, private, and small business shops I have been visiting.
To learn more about the history of Hatch Show Print, click here.
To learn more about the history of Hatch Show Print, click here.
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