Private Presses - Aranui High School

The Press

AHS Print Shop

Proprietor

A secondary school printing shop with a master in charge. From 1964 until 1973 this was Bill Meates, a school counsellor. In 1973 he was succeded by Chris Pryor a maths teacher and later Head of Maths at Aranui.

Location

Located on the grounds of Aranui High School, in the Christchurch suburb of Aranui.

History

Bill Meates ran the printshop from its 1964 beginnings until 1973. In 1973 Chris Pryor took over and remained as master in charge until the print shop closed in 1984. When the printshop closed Chris Pryor relocated some equipment to the Arts Centre in Worcester Street with the balance moving to the Yaldhurst Transport Museum. Equipment from the Arts' Centre moved to Yaldhurst in 1986. A number of the students from the printshop moved into careers in the printing industry.

Equipment

The initial printing press was a Haddon platen from The Akaroa Mail Company. From 1973 Chris Pryor progressively introduced several more hand platens, a Linotype, Ludlow, Mercedes Glockner cylinder press, a power guillotine, pinhole perforator and numerous stands of foundry and mono founts.

Publications

During its life the printshop produced school stationery, dance tickets, raffle tickets, booklets, business cards, and a wide range of other ephemera.