The Museum's artefact collection includes hundreds of thousands of engravings, typesettings, stereotypes, rubber stamps, negatives, offset plates and related items.

A stereotype is a printing plate (usually mounted as a block) which is a duplicate of a typesetting or engraving. Stereotypes were often mass-produced and sent to many printers and newspapers. The stereo was produced by a moulding process.

ENLARGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION The stereotype process This stereotype advises the community about the problems facing landlords in the 1940's.

ENLARGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION The use of stereotypes in advertising Stereotype advertisement for Commer vehicles, long-life motor.

ENLARGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION OF THESE TWO PICTURES The Emperor's Waltz (film advert)

ENLARGEMENT: WTIH PREVIOUS PICTURE A proof from this stereotype, printed in the Museum's studio.

ENLARGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION OF THESE TWO PICTURES Stereotype of business form: Colonial Gas Association bill form

ENLARGEMENT: WTIH PREVIOUS PICTURE A proof from this stereotype, printed in the Museum's studio.

ENLARGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION OF THESE TWO PICTURES Stereotype of daily press ad: Woolworth's Temporary Dress Shop

ENLARGEMENT: WTIH PREVIOUS PICTURE A proof from this stereotype, printed in the Museum's studio.

ENLARGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION Beautiful stereotype of bicycle: drawn, engraved, stereotyped. Nothing further is known.

ENLARGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION The use of stereotypes in general printing. A calendar stereo. These were a great time saver for printers.

ENLARGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION OF THESE TWO PICTURES Where many copies are to be printed at the one time, many stereotypes may be cast from the one matrix.

The stereotype matrix, made of pasted paper, receives an impression of the original typesetting.

ENLARGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION Examples of stereotype matrices from which stereotype plates are cast.

ENLARGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION Stereotype casting box and metal melting pot, typical of a small printery.

Some of these examples are safely in the Museum's venue. They are fascinating and tell wonderful stories, but the venue can hold less than 5% of the Museum's world-unique collection. It is a matter of some grief that the rest, including the world's only large collection of typesetting machinery and the only collection of its kind of printing artefacts, are not being protected by the authorities or industry and are in danger of being scrapped.