When you mind your p’s and q’s, a first impression will be good

I walked into what appeared to be quite an unexciting building and my eyes popped.

Wooden floors made my footsteps heard, the smell of old paper and ink filled my nostrils and the sight of metal machinery I had only seen in pictures lay before me. Ironically, one of my classmates let out a cry of exasperation before the official start of the tour into the history of printing began; “Ah! My phone just died!” It seemed appropriate that in a place rich in the textures of decades past would be the place where a modern piece of technology failed her. Nothing more interesting though could capture my attention and allow me to drink in the knowledge provided by Eastern Star Gallery curator regarding the ways of the old way of printing. No cellphone necessary.

Student Mitchell Parker (left) is intrigued by the advertising of ostriches for sale in an old edition of the Eastern Star newspaper, while lecturer Gillian Rennie looks on. Photo: Roxanne Daniels