Like all art, the posters of Hatch Show Print in Nashville, Tennessee, are designed to stop us in our tracks, draw us in for a closer look, and make us pause for a moment of reflection. Pure artistry and masterful composition are what make Hatch posters part of the story of American art and culture. Snappy graphics, punchy titles, humor, and irony are what make them irresistible.

Hatch Show Print, founded in 1879, is still a working letterpress and design shop, creating posters today using the same letterpress methods as yesterday. The technology at this Nashville institution has never changed, only the faces of the customers: from Elvis Presley to Elvis Costello, Buddy Guy to Bruce Springsteen, Etta James to Emmylou Harris, the Carter Family to Coldplay, and many, many others. While Hatch’s name is synonymous with the music business, its posters promoting football games, vaudeville shows, state fairs, stock car races, and picture shows reflect the breadth of American popular culture.

Whether an archived classic or a cutting-edge advertisement, a poster crafted by Hatch is a work of art steeped in the traditions of American graphic design that embraces both low and high art. Organized in collaboration with Hatch Show Print and The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (owners of Hatch Show Print since 1992), American Letterpress illustrates the fascinating fusion of art with popular culture and music history. This visually compelling exhibition includes vintage, hand-carved wooden blocks, authorized restrikes,, and a diverse collection of original posters.

American Letterpress is supported by America’s Jazz Heritage, A Partnership of The Wallace Foundation and the Smithsonian Institution.

Contents	Approximately 120 original posters (including authorized restrikes from vintage blocks), 20 hand-carved wood blocks, typeset poster form
Supplemental	Exhibition poster, educational and promotional resources, speaker list, bibliography
Participation Fee	$18,000 per 10-week booking period, plus prorated shipping
Square Feet	3,000 square feet, est.
Crates	15, est.
Category	Art
Security	High
Shipping	Prorated, SITES-designated carrier
SITES Contacts	Michelle Torres-Carmona, 202.633.3143 (Scheduling) Marquette Folley, 202.633.3111 (Content)
Tour Begins	Fall 2008

Dates		Host Institution	Status
10/3/2008	4/12/2009	Experience Music Project, Seattle, WA	Booked
5/2/2009	7/12/2009		Call for Availability
8/1/2009	10/11/2009		Call for Availability
10/31/2009	1/10/2010	Durham Western Heritage Museum, Omaha, NE	Booked
1/30/2010	4/11/2010		Call for Availability
5/1/2010	7/11/2010		Call for Availability
7/31/2010	10/10/2010		Call for Availability
10/30/2010	1/9/2011		Call for Availability
1/29/2011	4/10/2011		Call for Availability
4/30/2011	7/10/2011		Call for Availability
7/30/2011	10/9/2011		Call for Availability
10/29/2011	1/8/2012		Call for Availability
1/28/2012	4/8/2012		Call for Availability
4/28/2012	7/8/2012		Call for Availability

None listed at this time. Please check back later.

None listed at this time. Please check back later.