Historic Printing Press Returns to Campus

The press gives students a rare opportunity to connect design, history, and contemporary artistic practice in meaningful ways. Courtesy of UW–Madison Libraries

After a decade on loan at the Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, UW–Madison’s Silver Buckle Press is returning to campus.

The return marks the next chapter in Silver Buckle’s more than 50-year history at the university. The press, which supports instruction in printing, typography, book arts, and related disciplines, was acquired by the UW–Madison Libraries in 1973 from the estate of hobby printer and Ford Motor Company art director Robert Shaftoe at the urging of UW art professor Walter Hamady. For decades, it served as a working letterpress resource, producing fine press books, broadsides, exhibitions, and educational programs, while introducing generations of students to the history and craft of printing. The press will be transported back to campus before the spring 2027 semester under the new ownership of the UW Art Department.

“Silver Buckle Press is an extraordinary addition to the department of art’s teaching resources,” says Leslie Smith III, department chair and professor. “Having students learn by working with a historic printing collection gives them a rare opportunity to connect craft, design, history, and contemporary artistic practice in meaningful ways.”

The return reflects the UW’s continued commitment to preserving cultural heritage while ensuring that historic collections remain active resources for teaching, research, and creative practice. By bringing Silver Buckle Press back to campus, the university expands opportunities for faculty and students to engage with the art, history, and techniques of letterpress printing in an instructional setting.

Published in the Winter 2026 issue