the little book
the big book
A journey from Land’s End to John o’Groats printing all the way from within the factories and workshops of British makers.
Journeyman is a term used for a trained worker after finishing an apprenticeship. If work was short in your hometown, you would have taken to the road with your union card to look for work. The Journeyman project was inspired by the people who made their living on a bicycle; in particular the knife grinders who lived their life on the road traveling from town to town sharpening folk's knives.
The journey from Land's End to John o'Groats was made on the Printing Bike: a bespoke bicycle designed and built by Robin Mather three years ago. Its first adventure was a 850-mile journey from Bristol to Mainz in celebration of Gutenberg's invention of printing with moveable type in 1450. This second journey began in early May 2017 from Land's End. Nick wound his way up the spine of Britain seeking out makers in towns known for making one particular thing. In celebration of each craft, a set of more than 60 cards were printed on the Adana 8x5" press mounted on the back of the bicycle. Each card was illustrated by a different artist.
Conversations from Land’s End to John o’Groats was published on 1 December 2018. Journeyman a letterpress publication will be available for pre-order from March 2019 and for delivery in April.
Journeyman was made possible through the generous support of the Kickstarter campaign. This is the original video for the project.
Film by Emma Lazenby.
Video soundtrack: If I Possessed a Printing Press by George Hamilton IV
Map lino cut illustration by Hannah Cousins
The poster for the project was letterpress printed and featured an original poem written by Tara Lemméy as a tribute to the printing bike.
This is the full set of postcards printed and posted from the road to supporters of the project.
These are the makers who opened their doors to the printing bike and the artists who illustrated each craft.
The Makers
Kat Wheeler, The Leach Pottery
Robert Moore, The Somerset Cider Brandy Company
Elin Evans, Hiut Denim
Blanche McIntyre, RSC
Mark Pendered, Grenson
Steve Green, Brooks England
Kevin Millward, Potter
Nick Wright, Ernest Wright and Son
Nick Loaring, The Print Project
Brant Richards, HebTroCo
Dennis McBain, Balvenie
Iain Finlay Macleod, Breanish Tweed