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About Nondescript Press
Nondescript
Press was registered in 2002 primarily as a means to print and publish
the book “Printers of the Streets and Lanes of Melbourne” and a series of letterpress printed ephemera for exchange with private
press printers and enthusiasts.
Printing for pleasure, as a hobby, was always one of Don Hauser’s retirement objectives. Nondescript Press provides the pipeline to facilitate contacte with others both herein Australia and overseas.
Nondescript Press comprises an 8 x 5 inch miniature platen press and a Farley engraver’s press used to print cards and ephemera from linocuts and type. Worthy of mention is a ten colour greeting card featuring a stylised stained glass window hand cut from linoleum with a line engraving as a key black plate and printed on the engraver’s press. The piece was entered in the 2005 Australian National Print Awards winning a gold medal in the limited editions category.
The current major Nondescript Press project is the research and publication of Don Hauser’s book, Printers of the Streets and Lanes of Melbourne recently launched by Jeff Kennett former premier of Victoria. Don will welcome the opportunity to correspond by e-mail or post with other letterpress enthusiasts to discuss printed projects and allied interests, with a view to the exchange of copies of their finished work. Furthermore, the linking of private presses throughout the world via the internet will formalise an International “Legion of Private Press printers”.
About Don Hauser
Don Hauser’s interest in printing began in 1952 as an apprentice compositor at the age of 14 in Melbourne. He witnessed the fading years of the letterpress printing process, offset lithography and the massive technological changes that have completely revolutionised the printing industry in recent years.
He first experienced private press printing
in San Francisco in 1960 when, as a 22 year old compositor, he met Lawton
Kennedy then the doyen of San Francisco private press printers and visited
others including the then famous Grabhorn
Press. Don worked in USA and
England for two and a half years before returning to Melbourne to work
as a film make up compositor and advertising agency print buyer before
starting his own business as a printing production management consultant.
He retired from business in December 2005 to set up Nondescript Press
and publish his book “Printers of the Streets and Lanes of Melobourne”.
