{{Short description|Welsh printing press}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{more citations needed|date=December 2011}} [[Image:Gregynog-House.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Gregynog Hall]] The '''Gregynog Press''',<ref name="A Gift of Sunlight">{{cite book|author=Trevor Fishlock|title=A Gift of Sunlight|date=2014|isbn=978-1-84851-811-7|chapter=Chapter 17: Lunch in the Blue Room}}</ref><ref name="Gregynog">{{cite book|editor1=Glyn Tegai Hughes|editor2=Prys Morgan|editor3=J. Gareth Thomas|title=Gregynog|date=1977|publisher=University of Wales Press|isbn=0-7083-0634-9|chapter=Chapter 8: The Gregynog Press}}</ref> also known as '''Gwasg Gregynog''', is a printing press and charity located at Gregynog Hall near [[Newtown, Powys|Newtown]] in Powys, [[Wales]].

==Early years== Founded in 1922 by the sisters and art patrons [[Margaret Davies|Margaret]] and [[Gwendoline Davies]], guided by [[Thomas Jones (civil servant)|Thomas Jones]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Ellis |first=Ted|title=T.J.: A Life of Dr Thomas Jones, CH |year=1992 |publisher=University of Wales Press |location=Cardiff |page=246 |isbn=0-7083-1138-5}}</ref> the press was named after their mansion [[Gregynog Hall]].<ref name=Harrop>Harrop, Dorothy A. ''A History of the Gregynog Press''. Pinner: [[Private Libraries Association]], 1980 {{ISBN|0-900002-63-8}}</ref> Jones remained its chairman throughout its existence. It rose to prominence in the [[World War II|pre-war]] era as among the more important [[private press]]es, publishing [[limited edition]] books, primarily on a Victoria [[platen]] [[printing press]]. Much of the printing work from 1927 to 1936 was carried out by the skilled printer [[Herbert John Hodgson]],<ref name="history">[http://gwasg-gregynog.co.uk/?t=history History of Gwasg Gregynog and the Gregynog Press] at Gwasg Gregynog website</ref> who had previously worked on the 1926 edition of the [[T. E. Lawrence]]'s ''[[Seven Pillars of Wisdom]]''.<ref>''Impressions of War: The Memoirs of Herbert Hodgson 1893-1974'', Martlet Books, Oakham, 2010, ch. 3. ''Herbert Hodgson Printer: Work for T. E. Lawrence and at Gregynog'', Wakefield: Fleece Press, 1989.</ref> The American poet and printer [[Loyd Haberly]] was briefly the controller of the press.

It commissioned a private typeface from [[Graily Hewitt]], ''Gwendolin'', dated 1935.<ref name="Encyclopedia of Type Faces">{{cite book|last1=Jaspert|first1=W. Pincus|last2=Berry|first2=W. Turner|last3=Johnson|first3=Alfred F.|title=Encyclopedia of Type Faces|date=2001|publisher=Cassell Paperbacks|location=London|isbn=1-84188-139-2|page=110|edition=Paperback}}</ref><ref name="Gwendolin: 75 years on">{{cite book|title=Gwendolin: 75 years on|editor=David G. Lewis|author1-first=Robin|author1-last=Nicholas|author2-first=Eric|author2-last=Sweet|publisher=Gwasg Gregynog|isbn=978-1-907224-03-4}}</ref> It was manufactured as a private commission by [[Monotype Imaging|Monotype]].<ref>APHA Newsletter</ref>

==Reincarnation as Gwasg Gregynog== In 1954 after the death of Gwendoline Davies, Margaret donated most of the machinery used by Gregynog Press to the [[National Library of Wales]].<ref name="history"/> The press was reopened under the Welsh title ''Gwasg Gregynog'' by the [[University of Wales]] in 1978, and production resumed. While the National Library permanently loaned the Press its original Victoria platen press in 1980, since 1986, it has primarily printed with a [[Rotary printing press|Heidelberg Cylinder Press]].<ref name="history"/> [[Typesetting]] of the smallest pieces is done by hand, but otherwise manuscripts are typeset with the use of a [[Monotype Corporation|Monotype machine]]. Among the press publications are a series of pamphlets entitled "Beirdd Gregynog / Gregynog Poets": the first of these was [[Euros Bowen]]'s ''Yr Alarch'', 1987.<ref>Bowen, Euros (1987) ''Yr Alarch''. Y Drenewydd, Powys: Gwasg Gregynog {{ISBN|978-0948714177}}</ref>

Gwasg Gregynog Limited is a company limited by guarantee, which was incorporated on 28 June 1978. It adopted the new Memorandum and Articles of Association on 28 August 2001 and was granted charitable status by the Charity Commission on 11 January 2002 (charity no. 1090060).<ref name="morgan griffiths">{{cite web|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/01385327/filing-history/MDA1OTgyNDM5M2FkaXF6a2N4/document?format=pdf&download=0|title=Gwasg Gregynog Limited Directors Report and Accounts for the Year Ended 31 March 2002|date=7 December 2002|website=Companies House|publisher=Companies House|accessdate=21 January 2018}}</ref> Intended to benefit and educate the public, it offers lectures related to the press and printing techniques, as well as tours of press facilities, which are dedicated to maintaining traditional printing methods.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.powys.gov.uk/rep_2007-05-29b1_196b_en.pdf?id=47&L= | title = Appendix 1: Community Enablement Support Fund 'On-Going' Revenue Applications | date = 29 May 2007 | accessdate = 26 October 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110608032938/http://www.powys.gov.uk/rep_2007-05-29b1_196b_en.pdf?id=47&L= | archive-date = 8 June 2011 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

The press has been involved in several historic events in Wales in connection with the [[National Assembly for Wales|National Assembly]]. When the Assembly opened in Wales, the press produced its first documents, including a small hand-bound souvenir volume that served as the Assembly's first publication.<ref>{{cite web|title=Searching for Gregynog: Welsh private press books|url=http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2010/03/11/searching-for-gregynog-welsh-private-press-books/|work=AbeBooks' Reading Copy|publisher=AbeBooks, Inc.|accessdate=22 December 2012}}</ref> Later, in 2006, it bound a poem commissioned to mark the opening of the [[Senedd building|Senedd]], the Assembly's permanent home, and written in [[Western calligraphy|calligraphy]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Official Opening of the Senedd|url=http://www.assemblywales.org/sen-home/sen-projecthistory/sen-project-history-subpage/sen-project-history-openeing-the-senedd.htm|publisher=National Assembly for Wales|accessdate=23 December 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212202141/http://www.assemblywales.org/sen-home/sen-projecthistory/sen-project-history-subpage/sen-project-history-openeing-the-senedd.htm|archive-date=12 February 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Notes== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== *Dowd, Anthony; Brockman, James (2004), ''The Special Bindings of Gwasg Gregynog''. Newtown, Powys, Wales: Gwasg Gregynog. {{ISBN|095419425X}} *Esslemont, David; Hughes, Glyn Tegai (1990), ''[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/23088874 Gwasg Gregynog: a descriptive catalogue of printing at Gregynog 1970-1990]''. Newtown, Powys, Wales: Gwasg Gregynog. {{ISBN|978-0-948714-41-2}} *Esslemont, David; Schanilec, Gaylord; Armacost, J. Andrew; Chambers, David (2003), ''Ink on the Elbow: conversations between David Esslemont & Gaylord Schanilec'', Solmentes Press, {{ISBN|978-0-907014-20-1}} * Evans, Jayne (1990), ''Gregynog Press Gwasg Gregynog'' *Haberly, Loyd (1979) ''An American Bookbuilder in England and Wales''. London: Bertram Rota * Hutchins, Michael (1976), ''Printing at Gregynog = Argraffu yng Ngregynog : aspects of a great private press = agweddau ar wasg breifat fawr''; translated by David Jenkins = y cyfieithiad gan David Jenkins. Cardiff: Welsh Arts Council {{ISBN|0905171047}}

==External links== *{{Official website|http://gwasg-gregynog.co.uk/}} *{{EW charity|1090060}}

[[Category:Publishing companies established in 1922]] [[Category:Arts in Wales]] [[Category:Book arts]] [[Category:Printing companies of the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Printmaking groups and organizations]] [[Category:Charities based in Wales]] [[Category:Book publishing companies of Wales]] [[Category:Companies based in Powys]] [[Category:British companies established in 1922]] [[Category:Private press movement]]