{"id":783,"date":"2015-04-07T17:55:57","date_gmt":"2015-04-07T21:55:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kingdmad.com\/?page_id=783"},"modified":"2026-05-01T14:18:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T18:18:00","slug":"sign-of-the-george","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/kingdmad.com\/staging\/7779\/sign-of-the-george\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sign of the George Press"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Sign of the George Press is the educational letterpress of King University, a program within the Digital Media Art and Design (DMAD) program. Originally founded in the 1970s by Dr. George P. \u201cPat\u201d Winship, Jr., professor of English, to instruct students on typography history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 1994 to 2014, the Sign of the George press laid dormant in the lower-level of the Fine Arts Building, but in 2015 DMAD students in the Digital Media Business Practices course led the charge to revive the press as a teaching tool unique to the region, adding another valuable resource to the DMAD program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students were split into two groups and challenged to create an innovative and sustainable business plan to bring the presses into the 21st Century. Under the mentorship of Ellen Myatt and David Winship, son of Pat Winship who originally ran the press, students dusted off the moveable type and began to produce hand printed invitations and greeting cards in an effort to re-engage the King community with the Sign of the George.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since then the press has used in interesting and creative ways as a teaching tool in the DMAD program and for community organizations. For example, in 2020 students digitally designed and produced a custom 5×7 inch invitation that was 3D printed and made using the main letterpress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, David Winship, son of Dr. Winship, was appointed Director of The Sign of the George Press and the Press is more consistently engaged in producing hand typeset documents for the University and community partners. During the Spring 2024 semester, printed copies of the King University Alma Mater were made for use at official university functions such as graduation, a workshop on using a poster press for the Birthplace of Country Music Museum (held at the museum), and production of a student-designed, custom poster to celebrate the 93rd anniversity for Paramount Bristol Theater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For further information, contact dbwinship@king.edu<\/a> or hljones@king.edu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To purchase hand set and pressed products from the Sign of the George, please visit the Tornado Alley Shoppe website, here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sign of the George Photos<\/h2>\n\n\n
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