Curwen Press

As one of the most noteworthy print presses to champion the lithographic print process, Curwen Press was a revolutionary design force for some of the greatest artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. As a pioneer of Patterned Papers, they created endpapers and covers for the binding of books - the inspiration behind our very own Patterned Papers. 

The press was originally set up in 1863 by the Reverend John Curwen for the purpose of printing sheet music for his congregation, John’s grandson Harold Curwen took over management of the press in 1914. Inspired by William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement Harold led the firm in a new direction, focusing on typography, design, and collaboration with artists in print projects, commissioning work from such artists as Enid Marx, Eric Ravilious and Paul Nash.

The 1930s saw a revival of interest in lithography to produce original work as limited-edition prints and by the 1950s interest in the medium was beginning to take off. The Curwen Studio was created in 1958, managed by esteemed printmaker Stanley Jones, to provide a new professional environment for experiments in printmaking.

The Curwen Studio moved from London in 1989 to new larger rural premises in Cambridgeshire. Stanley Jones, along with the new owner, Sam Alper, set up the Curwen Print Study Centre in 1991, a charity to ensure that facilities for Fine Art Printmaking continue to exist for future generations.