The centuries following the advent of the printing press in Europe were characterised by an overwhelmingly male print industry. Guild rules, social norms, and financial pressures conspired to keep women out of the printing workforce. In spite of these obstacles, many thousands of women were involved in the printing business, with some rising to own and operate their own presses.

This exhibition will focus on women working in the printing trades and the output of woman-owned presses — including those of Mary Clark, Elinor James, Anne Dodd, Sarah Harding, Sarah Cotter, la veuve Mazières, and the completely woman-operated École Typographique des Femmes established under French Revolutionary auspices in 1791. Please join us for an online talk from the curators: Ruth-Ellen St. Onge, Distinctive Collections Cataloguing Librarian, and Myron Groover, Archives and Rare Books Librarian.

Register for the online event here!

Transformative Stories: Year of Gender and Justice  is presented by McMaster University Library in collaboration with campus and community partners and will feature a lineup of free, public programming from fall 2023 through summer 2024. The series is part of McMaster University Library’s biannual “Year of” celebrations, which are aimed at highlighting the library’s unique collections, resources, and expertise and emphasizing its vital role in supporting the research, teaching, and learning mission of the university.