M.M.O.P. IS CLOSED "ON THE GROUND"
(Now working to recreate the Museum and its services)
Meantime This Website continues with lots of pix and info . . .

Coming Sometime to this website :
THE ONLINE MUSEUM OF PRINTING
Tech Help and Guidance would be appreciated:
email online@mmop.org.au to start a conversation.

Coming Later On : :
(IF RELEVANT PEOPLE ARE WILLING) — we hope YOU are relevant !
Tell us who could be invited to help with ideas, skills, finance, storage? Please email.

: : THE RECREATED MUSEUM OF PRINTING : :
WITH ALL ITS PROGRAMS
and hopefully in premises that can never be taken away !

Online pages will be under construction, and you can still see many of the old pages via our menu levels, with stories and hundreds of images of Museum objects and activities, both here and on well-known photo websites. More of them are from satisfied students and visitors than from our own resources.

Also (below) you could read the views of other museums and experts, customer "feedback" and press coverage in newspapers and trade magazines. These will increase as we receive or discover more items -- and as they rediscover MMOP. Check Back! Please do some talking!

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ARE YOU ONE WHO VISITED MMOP? DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN? WAS IT A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE FOR YOU . . . OR WAS IT NEW LEARNING?

Please email feedback@mmop.org.au with your experience and suggestions. Could we have done it better? Could we do better in future?

Many thousands of general public, and thousands of students who might consider a career in printing, attended M.M.O.P. in the 25 years MMOP was open.

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Old Mick, the founder, is still with us after some 40 years.

As the type-founding trade was dying around 1975 Michael rebuilt it, (while working night shift at Telecom) keeping metal types available as "Australian Type Co". Will they again be available?

As more and more students and artists wanted to use type and presses, he began offering classes and in the 1980's the emphasis changed to preservation and education, and the museum was formed.

Many with graphic interests (and many without) took part in our "hands-on" programs of typesetting and printing. Some returned to type-set, print and bind a hand-made edition of their own book. Others made cards and posters. They also had the chance to see and understand newer systems of printing. In future those newer systems will be part of this "hands on" education.

Also to come are some ancillary collections of related industries. The Packaging Industry Museum (Australia) will be part of it, and examples are being collected of unique and day-to-day retail, wholesale and industrial packs of many materials and designs along with notes on their designers and producers.

Although the Museum's offerings were of benefit to "the industry", no help was offered to pay the rent or recruit and train some permanent staff. Mick says it could have become self supporting if it had received initial funding; The Museum and its fabulous collection finally died in 2018
. . . OR DID IT?

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MMOP HAS BEEN RECOGNISED AROUND THE WORLD . . .

Industry Leaders, Museums, Academics, Civic Leaders

SNIPPETS FROM OUR REFEREE PAGE
GO TO REFEREE PAGE FOR FULL LIST AND ACTUAL TEXTS :
[LINKS ARE BELOW]

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''This is a Working Museum of Typography and Printing''
providing opportunities for printers, designers, historians, students, booklovers/librarians, engineers, researchers, tourists and the naturally inquisitive.

ALSO PROVIDING INSIGHTS FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT CHOOSE A PRINT-RELATED CAREER

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LEADING CONTRIBUTORS INCLUDE: [full statements, and more contributors, on Referee Page]

George Gearside JP, (then) President of the popular Penrith Museum of Printing.
Nicole Wragg, Chair of Communication Design at Swinburne University.
John Magnik, (then) teacher and executive at the RMIT printing school, Brunswick.
Dr. Derek Nuttall, (then) chairman of the National Printing Heritage Trust (England) (in 2002)
John Griffiths, (then) Senior Curator, Media Technologies, The Science Museum, London, in 2002
Nigel Roche, principal of St Bride Printing Library, London, in 2002. [Amazing place: see sbf.org.uk]
''From the description which I have seen, the collection which you have put together is more comprehensive than anything we have here in the UK or indeed in Europe. It offers the only possibility of reconstructing a proper printing office for a newspaper or other substantial printing works, remaining in any country.''
Stan Nelson, Printing and Typefounding expert, (then at) the Smithsonian Institution.

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Patrick Thomas, graphic designer and lecturer of international repute. Patrick toured Australia in 2008 as AGDA International Speaker.

Patrick laments the loss of traditional printing knowledge and equipment in Spain, his adopted country and says it has left "a huge gap" in Spanish design education and culture.

In the picture, Museum Founder Michael Isaachsen receives a thank-you note from Patrick Thomas (right) who has just printed it by hand in the Museum's Access Studio.

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Martin Stanley, lecturer in Printmaking at the National Art School in Sydney.

Martin escorted 25 students to Melbourne in 2008 and attended an all-day workshop at the Museum.

Schools and other visitors came from all states, and overseas, year after year.

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Tobias Frere-Jones, renowned typographer and graphic designer, who visited MMOP.
Russell Kennedy, senior lecturer (then) at Monash University Graphic Design and a leader in international graphic design organisations.
Andrew Kean, design lecturer at Swinburne University.
Warren Taylor, graphic artist, teacher, curator of 'The Narrows' Art Gallery:
''The hand-made element is really interesting. There's so much printed matter that's mass-produced, it really stands out,'' he said.
Jim Reid, Secretary of the (then) Printing Division,AMWU (printing trade union) said:
''It is also relevant that the museum plans to recreate the workplace atmosphere, with not just a machine or two but the large numbers of machines and other items which would have been found in typical workplaces.''
Dr Stephen Foster, (then) General Manager(Collections),National Museum of Australia. in 2002
Ian Butterworth, Engineering Manager, (then at) Maribyrnong City Council:
''There were a number of impressive posters and other works actually printed in the Museum by visiting artists. Some of these had been commissioned by Council''
Councillor Bill Horrocks, Mayor of the City of Maribyrnong in 2002:
''(Mr Isaachsen) has been the only person in Melbourne to save and protect the last of these items of printing heritage'' he said.

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DETAIL OF THESE AND OTHER REFEREES

Please see the Referee Page for more, and the actual letters and statements.

THEN THERE IS THE PAGE OF LINKS to BLOGs, opinions, images and a few videos offered by our referees. Go to the "Referee Links" page (off the Referee Page).

There are many links to this Museum on the web. A lot are from universities and historical organisations around the world: some are just a few words and a link. And there are also bloggers and flikr (etc) members who feature the Museum in some way.

In turn, MMOP links back to them. These are our "Referee Links" and they also are featured on our "Referee Links" page (off the Referee Page).

Lots of interesting links, from people who are interested in the graphic arts and know about MMOP. Visitors' videos and blogs show how they have appreciated their experience. All kinds of feedback! They are good reading.

Flickr, Instagram and similar sites have been populated by lovers of MMOP.

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Learn and Enjoy !

GLOSSARY OF TYPE AND PRINTING

UNIQUE TO MMOP— OUR OWN RESEARCH ! * CLEAR DEFINITIONS * HUNDREDS OF TERMS * ALPHABETIC or THEMATIC searching * COMPREHENSIVE Those terms that can be a NOUN, ADJECTIVE or VERB are defined separately if relevant. Explore print & design definitions at : MMOP's Glossary

YOUR STORIES? PICTURES? IDEAS? EDITING AND SYSTEM SKILLS?

YOU COULD ALSO TELL US THE AVAILABILITY OF SUITABLE EXHIBITS FOR THE FUTURE REBUILD.
modern? old? ancient? equipment? supplies? manuals? cabinetry? documents? stories?
examples or proofs of printing, typesetting (any method) packaging, publishing? .. PLEASE DO NOT DISCARD.

For example machinery and tools, formes and plates, examples of documents, type founts and cabinets, rules, engravings, stereos, typesetters, special hand-tools, spacing strips ["leads, reglets and furniture"], bindery items, etc. Presses (of any kind and age), plates, engravings, stereotypes, made-up pages, marked-up proofs, photographs, catalogues, examples of finished work, employment documents?

Your own print-related documents, business cards, invoices, advertising would be great. If you are/were a printer, how about a floor plan (past, present or future) of your workplace detailing your machinery etc.? And a statement about your firm's history? What about a few pix of yourself and colleagues and your equipment? It will all be treasured. Please get others to do the same.

I am sure you have some great stories about life in the print-works. What went on? What great achievements, what disasters? How often did you have to scrap a job because of errors? What kind of errors? Who did the proof reading or QC? Was it you?

All going well, MMOP may be able to promote the other relevant museums, revealing details of their holdings, including documents, to benefit researchers and others.

EVEN IF MMOP DOES NOT FULLY RESUME, any documentary items will be curated and passed to other museums or archives.

Future generations will regard this 21st century as "the old days". They will appreciate anything you can place in Australia's repository of printing MMOP.

DOCUMENTS INCLUDING PERSONS' NAMES: please discuss with the Museum about options for special treatment of such documents (if it's an issue). For example, only an edited copy is accessible by the public; only registered researchers can see the original. Or a time-factor (how many years?) Our curators will handle them according to your request.

Future generations will treasure your original paper-work (or digital docs) relating to what you printed and how you worked.

Printing, yes, but the "related industries" are also important, such as Publishing, Packaging, Paper Trade: what about labelling? signage? advertising? all involving design skills and typography. Each of these industries has its own significant history. MMOP's duty is to conserve, curate and display them all. Now we must start again while examples can still be found.

Please don't discard that "old stuff" including routine documents that show how business was done. We had thousands of them ... most were thrown out by our loving landlord.

ANY IDEAS ABOUT STORAGE SPACE? This will be needed as people offer items for the collection, until a "new home" can be secured. Some former MMOP items will be returned and we need to accept them.

Can you find some vacant storage space (perhaps 200 sq. metres or more) that MMOP could use for a couple of years to safeguard donated items while we find our new sponsors? Can you help with picking up and/or safeguarding newly donated items?

Finding s suitable long-term home for MMOP may take quite some time. We don't want to knock back machinery, artefacts and documents that may become available (and a few already in unsuitable storage). If in the end there are surplus, or if our project fails, these items can be offered to other museums.

FORMER AQUISITION POLICY MISUNDERSTOOD

Ol Mick says he was concerned that a few people, well-meaning, felt that he collected too much - virtually everything he could get: equipment, supplies, documents. Some felt that made it harder for other collectors. He points out that he could not know which items were the best or most meaningful. There was only the one chance to save the material of the "old industry". ANY ITEM HE DID NOT AQUIRE WAS AT RISK OF DESTRUCTION. In time, MMOP could choose the most relevant to keep and offer the rest to other museums and libraries. And ONLY THEN consider rejecting anything.

NEWSPAPER PRINTING PRESS, PLEASE?

Could anyone find and donate a ROTARY NEWS PRESS (somewhere in the world) using curved stereotype plates? This process played a major role, printing millions of papers each day for over 100 years. It was eventually overtaken by photo-lithographic processes.

Stereotype plates being mounted  
onto a rotary newspaper press. 

Our founder learnt about those systems in the 1950s, from age 13, at News Limited in Adelaide, where he became a regular visitor. He learnt about hot-metal type composing, stereotype platemaking and web-press operation (although he was never allowed to touch anything).

He also found out that News Ltd had a trade typesetting service "Adelaide Art Engravers & Typography" and used them to supply Linotype and Ludlow type setting as well as engravings (blocks) for his own little printing business "South Brighton Printery" (1955 to 1967).

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** Before you respond ** you may like to learn about the Museum and its
driving forces by reading through this long home-page (and maybe follow
some of the links) to appreciate its scope and driving forces.

Please make first contact through rebuild@mmop.org.au.
Your reaction and frank comments will be appreciated.

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HERE'S THE LINK TO THE LATEST LIST OF IMAGES

Recently assembled "of Cards and Pix" includes printing books by hand, and recreation of the Newspaper Composing Area, in use by ABC TV and other film makers. And lots more.

CLICK HERE for CARDS & PIX

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SO, WHERE ARE WE AT, RIGHT NOW?

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AFTER FORTY YEARS OF HARD WORK, and private outlay in the millions of dollars, MMOP was recognised as one of the world's comprehensive collections in its field. [Read our referees!] It included modern, old and ancient technologies of printing and related industries. The emphasis was on recreating the workplace environment, its documentation and its processes, and exposing it all to a wide audience, with programs including hands-on experience.

OVER ITS MOST PRODUCTIVE YEARS it attracted and served thousands of secondary and tertiary students (design and book related) with their teachers from many parts of Australia; hundreds of graphic designers wanting unique hands-on understanding, and dozens of productive artists and book printers, several from overseas. MMOP also hosted events for other organisations, offering their clients a unique experience.

The realistic environment is probably what attracted at least a dozen film makers to use MMOP as a location (or borrow items for props) for episodes ranging from educational to crime-drama.

DISASTER STRUCK 5+ YEARS AGO !!
IT WAS SHOCKING NEWS.

HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?

The "General Admission Program" for casual visitation could not be reliably offered, or advertised, and only ran two days a week. It could never reach its potential without some regular staffing during the start-up years but there was no funding for recruitment and training.

Likewise, the educational and professional programs, although successful, were limited for lack of human resources, and were insufficient in volume to cover the fixed expenses.

ALTHOUGH A NUMBER OF INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE in industry and various authorities had sounded positive about funding, to stabilise the museum, it never happened. The funds would have covered the cost of recruiting and training a small team of full-time staff. In turn, that would have enabled MMOP to offer its services seven days a week, including an attractive "general admission" program.

Unfortunately, this lack of staff confined operations to "pilot mode" and led to getting a long way behind in the rental, until the Landlord felt that he could wait no longer. Sad to say, he locked out the Museum people and after some time, organised an auction whereby most metallic items were sold, many bought by scrap dealers.

MMOP is grateful that some key items were bought by other museums, and some could be returned when MMOP re-starts !

O N E   L A S T   C H A N C E !

M.M.O.P. CAN REBUILD AND RE-START with a new board and governance structure, and financial partners.

The support needed to re-start until break-even could be less than what the founders have outlaid (and finally lost) over the years.

SOME KEY ITEMS MAY BE RETURNED. OTHERS ARE STORED IN OFF-SITE LOCATIONS, AT RISK, AND READY TO RETURN. FURTHER ITEMS HAVE BEEN OFFERED: OTHER NEEDED ITEMS ARE AVAILABLE.

The Re-started MMOP will allow visitors to see the impressive range of industries related to printing, with the assistance of the many "industry organisations" that could add important (fascinating) detail to the Museum.

Many younger folk will gain insight into careers in our industries.

Taking advantage of some building like our former great location, or a suitable 3000 sq.m new location, there is potential to bring hundreds of people per day to learn about printing, publishing, packaging and related crafts, and also explore the region. And hopefully it will include a display hall for exhibitions and permanent displays of these related industries.

Please email rebuild@mmop.org.au for details and options. You can ask for links to a 3000 sq.m "example" FLOOR PLAN, updates and a chain of links to various interesting pages and especially the REFEREE PAGE (letters from academics and leaders of museums and industry).

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>> WHAT IF I BELIEVE THE MUSEUM IS IMPORTANT and wish it well, but I cannot offer financial support? <<

Many people of goodwill cannot offer the substantial funding that will re-start and rebuild the Museum. But your words of support will be seen by those who could help. "Why is the Museum important? And to whom?"

>>After learning all you can about the Museum, its history and its possibilities, please email a paragraph or more about its value to the various communities it can serve.

You could start by reading most of this website -- be sure to read the words of our "referees".

Also your own feedback will be appreciated if you attended MMOP at any time or have an idea to contribute.
What did you see and do at MMOP?

Send your views or questions, and suggestions, to rebuild@mmop.org.au. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR PHONE NUMBER and we can have a chat!

[ End of this TORTUOUS HISTORY material ! ! ]

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NOW SEE MOST OF THE ORIGINAL WEBSITE
AND THE STORIES IT TELLS !

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Red-Pix

Heritage of Printing, Publishing, Packaging, Paper Industrial Heritage - Business Heritage - Intangible Heritage   CLICK ANY PICTURE FOR ENLARGEMENT AND COMMENTARY   ALL IMAGES AND TEXT ON THIS WEBSITE ARE COPYRIGHT © MMOP 2023 mmop.org.au/copyright.htm

A R C H I V A L   MINI-MENU : : more items down the page

THIS IS HOW MMOP WORKED FOR THOUSANDS OF VISITORS 1989 to 2018

ALL PROGRAMS ||  SCHOOL PROGRAM ||  LETTERPRESS PROGRAM ||  VISITOR PROGRAM

VOLUNTEERS PROGRAM

WHERE WERE WE? Address, map, phone, email  ||  PRINT IN OUR LETTERPRESS STUDIO  ||  OUR OWN METAL TYPEFOUNDRY

MMOP ON FACEBOOK  ||  OUR PRINTING GLOSSARY  ||  OUR COLLECTIONS  ||  PICTURE GALLERIES

NEW 2025 ! MMOP's CARDS AND IMAGES :
|| Visitors and their works  || 

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CLICK HERE for details AND PIX of the NEW MUSEUM [2011]. Discover opportunities. (as it was and may again be)

CLICK HERE to view our popular LEAFLETS: STILL AVAILABLE as a pack of 12 or 24 different prints (6x4 gloss), and other options, to support MMOP Re-Start. EMAIL sales@mmop.org.au

CLICK FOR LETTERPRESS EXPERIENCE

THE SHOWROOM PAGE See what happens in the main entrance CLICK IMAGE

Illustrated Feature: LETTERPRESS EXPLAINED ACCOMPANIED AN ABC RADIO SEGMENT 14 FEB 2008 CLICK IMAGE

Melbourne Museum of Printing in the media RADIO : TV : NEWSPAPER : MAGAZINE CLICK IMAGE

>>> SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE DETAILS <<<
[ PAGES SHOW HOW MMOP WILL AGAIN OPERATE AFTER RE-START ]
{YOU can contribute to "How MMOP will be structured and operate!"}

VISIT THE CONTACT PAGE   [FORMER LOCATION] [IT WAS GREAT] In Geelong Road, West Footscray, Victoria. IT WAS JUST MINUTES FROM THE CITY, WELL SERVED BY TRAINS AND BUSES. MAP, TELEPHONE, E-MAIL	FORMER PUBLIC PROGRAM VISITING WITHOUT APPOINTMENT :: IF OVER 4 IN YOUR GROUP, PLEASE ADVISE. [DAYS, PRICES, DETAILS]   GROUP TOURS WERE PART OF THE PUBLIC PROGRAM, and could be booked for any day.   GRAPHIC DESIGN TOURS ARE NOT PART OF THIS PROGRAM. SEE "OTHER PROGRAMS".   EMAIL MMOP give us your ideas or just a chat.	OTHER PROGRAMS "USTA BEE" CLICK HERE FOR FULL DETAILS GRAPHIC STUDENTS' WORKSHOP THE ROOTS OF PRINTING (P.D.) WORKSHOP GRAPHIC DESIGN TOUR GENERAL INSTRUCTION AND TRAINING LETTERPRESS STUDIO (when qualified) RESEARCH ACCESS (and that's not all.) THESE WERE AVAILABLE ANY DAY BY APPOINTMENT. MAY BE A SLIGHT DELAY?	OUR COLLECTIONS CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS MACHINES OF MANY KINDS FOUNTS (FONTS) OF MANY KINDS ARTEFACTS AND DOCUMENTS: _ LETTERPRESS ITEMS _ OFFSET LITHO ITEMS _ LIBRARIES _ BUSINESS DOCS _ COMPUTERS AND COMMUNICATIONS ALSO SEE TABLE NEAR BOTTOM OF PAGE
PICTURE GALLERIES EACH THEMED GALLERY HAS TEN OR MORE IMAGES AND DETAILED EXPLANATIONS.	DOWNLOAD OUR DOCUMENTS BROWSE OR PRINT OUT DETAILS OF THE MUSEUM'S ESTABLISHMENT.	GLOSSARY OF TYPE AND PRINTING CLEAR DEFINITIONS OF HUNDREDS OF TERMS - ALPHABETIC AND THEMATIC BROWSING	VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE MUSEUM, ITS COLLECTIONS, ITS PROGRAMS
HOW TO USE OUR MATERIAL: COPYRIGHT NOTICE
OUR TYPEFOUNDRY WE HOPE TO RESUME MAKING METAL TYPES FOR OTHER MUSEUMS, ARTISTS, ACADEMICS, ENTHUSIASTS AND OLD-TIMERS LIKE US!	LINOTYPE RE-ENACTMENTS REMEMBER THE NEWSPAPER COMPOSING-ROOM? WE WERE PLANNING SOME GREAT EVENTS, BUT MUCH OF OUR EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN DESTROYED. SO THE COMP ROOM MAY BE JUST A MEMORY! ROWS OF LINECASTERS COULD HAVE BEEN WORKING. WE MIGHT DO IT ON A SMALLER SCALE SOME TIME. WHO WILL OPERATE THE LINOS, LUDLOWS AND PRESSES? WHAT ABOUT YOU?	DID YOU KNOW? COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MUSEUM and OUR MANY UNWANTED MOVES	VOLUNTEERING? VERY REWARDING! MORE INFORMATION   EMAIL MMOP TO HELP ON OPEN DAYS   EMAIL MMOP TO ENQUIRE ABOUT VOLUNTEERING

>>> Browse down for other ways to explore the Museum . . . archivally <<<

Please don't be shocked if some obscure pages have remained incomplete for 30 years.

Would you like to join our team and fix them up?.

 

THESE SPECIAL INTEREST JUMP PAGES MAY MATCH YOUR THEME	What's your interest?
	Typography & Design__	D.T.P. or_ Word Proc	Book___ History__	Media &_ Editing__	Printing	Print___ Making_	Typo____ Glossary	Letterpress Freak____

 

EXPLORE THESE DIRECT LINKS TO KEY AREAS
WHAT WE HAVE OUR COLLECTION PAGES	WHAT WE OFFER OUR PROGRAM PAGES	WHO WE ARE PAGES ABOUT US
DIRECT LINKS TO KEY PAGES . . .
MACHINERY PAGES	STUDENT PROGRAMS	CONTACT US
FOUNT / FONT PAGES	YOU CAN USE OUR PRESSES!	OUR HISTORY
ARTEFACTS, HAND TOOLS	OPEN TO PUBLIC?	VOLUNTEERING
COLLECTION INDEX	PROGRAM INDEX	INDEX ABOUT US

 

AN OVERVIEW OF SOME ITEMS IN OUR COLLECTION INDEX:
MACHINERY PRINTING TYPESETTING OTHER FOUNTS HAND-SET TYPE LINE-CASTING MATS LINOTYPE LUDLOW TYPE-CASTING MATS MONOTYPE COMP MONOTYPE LARGE THOMPSON FOUNTS FOR PHOTOSETTING	NON-MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT STORAGE CABINETRY HAND TOOLS CONSUMABLES, MATERIALS ARTEFACTS SAVED TYPESET JOBS ENGRAVINGS STEREOTYPES ARTWORK, NEGATIVES LITHO PLATES FINISHED PRINT JOBS	LIBRARIES BOOKS AS ARTEFACTS BOOKS ABOUT PRINTING, TYPOGRAPHY, LANGUAGE BOOKS, POSTERS, PRINTED IN OUR ACCESS STUDIO BUSINESS RECORDS OF PRINTERS QUOTATIONS AND INVOICES FOR PRINTING GOODS PURCHASED, INVOICES RECEIVED SUPPLY CATALOGS (INK, PAPER, TYPE, MACHINERY) GENERAL BUSINESS DOCUMENTS ANCILLIARY COLLECTIONS COMPUTERS AND SOFTWARE OFFICE EQUIPMENT TELEGRAPHY, TELEPHONY ITEMS

 

OTHER WAYS TO NAVIGATE (2) ____U_S_E___O_N_E___O_F___O_U_R___S_I_T_E___G_U_I_D_E_S_____
SITE MAP If you're learning the language of printing, an easy way to navigate our many indexes and destinations.	VIRTUAL TOUR See our collections, programs and links. You can get off anywhere for a closer look!

 

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Other___ Things__

Site____ Map___

Typo____ Glossary

Metal__ Type____

updated 20250706
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