{"id":8,"date":"2020-05-29T12:01:49","date_gmt":"2020-05-29T12:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/?p=8"},"modified":"2020-06-11T14:40:09","modified_gmt":"2020-06-11T14:40:09","slug":"aldgate-press","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/aldgate-press\/","title":{"rendered":"Aldgate Press"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Aldgate Press is a worker\u2019s co-operative set up in 1981, predominantly an offset litho printers.Originally part of Freedom Press, the anarchist publishers and bookshop founded in 1886, Aldgate Press was established with money from supporters of Freedom in order to update their printing resources. Vernon Richards from Freedom Press had previously bought Express Printers, that was in the building next door (now the Whitechapel Gallery), but the equipment had become too old to use by 1972 and so they started using other printers in and out of London.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"682\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Aldgate-7-682x1024.jpg\" alt=\"View of Angel Alley\" class=\"wp-image-15\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Aldgate-7-682x1024.jpg 682w, https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Aldgate-7-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Aldgate-7-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Aldgate-7-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Aldgate-7.jpg 1145w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px\" \/><figcaption>Angel Alley E1, showing Freedom Press on the left and the entrance to Aldgate Press, early 2000s, courtesy of Aldgate Press<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Aldgate Press began life in the building that is now Freedom\u2019s bookshop in Angel Alley. Steve Sorba from Aldgate Press talks in his oral history interview for this project about how money was raised from donors (\u2018octogenarian anarchists\u2019, as he describes them) and describes how a press was bought for \u00a32000. Having started taking on other work for local clients they gradually became a more commercial printers with a smaller proportion of their work coming from Freedom Press and other similar organisations.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Bow-Arts-Lightboxes-Lettering-Low-Res-33-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Two printed flyers 'Anarchist Bookfair'\" class=\"wp-image-317\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Bow-Arts-Lightboxes-Lettering-Low-Res-33-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Bow-Arts-Lightboxes-Lettering-Low-Res-33-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Bow-Arts-Lightboxes-Lettering-Low-Res-33-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Bow-Arts-Lightboxes-Lettering-Low-Res-33-870x580.jpg 870w, https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Bow-Arts-Lightboxes-Lettering-Low-Res-33.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Anarchist Bookfair flyers printed by Aldgate Press. Courtesy of Bishopsgate Institute. Installation photo by Rob Harris.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In the 1990s Aldgate Press, after a politically motivated fire bombing, moved around the corner to Gunthorpe Street, then in 2015 after a rent hike, moved to premises in railway arches in Bow where they are now. They still work for a range of clients across London and the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/1-Steve-Sorba.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignfull size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"705\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Aldgate-2-1024x705.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-10\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Aldgate-2-1024x705.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Aldgate-2-300x207.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Aldgate-2-768x529.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Aldgate-2-1536x1058.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Aldgate-2.jpg 1712w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">When Aldgate Press was founded, it was actually set up as a partnership rather than a limited company. We were individual partners and individually personally liable, and everybody who joined thereafter became a partner. So we had no employees and strictly speaking we weren\u2019t a co-op, because we didn\u2019t fulfil the criteria, nor could we join a union because we weren\u2019t employees. However we approached the unions and asked them, there was quite a bit of closed shop going on at that time, and it never presented itself as a problem. Eventually we became a limited company to give financial protection to the partners. We were never constituted formally as a co-op but it always ran along those lines. Which is simply that everybody was paid the same hourly rate for whatever job they were doing. And everyone had an equal say in the decision-making process. Originally as well, we had this idea that people would rotate jobs so you would be doing machine-minding for one week and then you\u2019d be doing layout or you\u2019d be in the darkroom the next week or whatever, but it soon became apparent that people didn\u2019t actually want to do that because they found themselves more comfortable doing jobs that they actually enjoyed and felt they were good at. Some people didn\u2019t particularly want to speak to&nbsp;clients, some people didn\u2019t want to spend all day in the darkroom and some people really enjoyed being machine-minders. I don\u2019t know if anybody\u2019s ever really enjoyed being a machine-minder, but you know, eventually we ended up with particular jobs.<\/span><\/p><cite><strong>Steve Sorba, Aldgate Press<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/AP-IMG_7461-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Person at work at Aldgate Press\" class=\"wp-image-20\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/AP-IMG_7461-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/AP-IMG_7461-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/AP-IMG_7461-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/AP-IMG_7461-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/AP-IMG_7461-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/AP-IMG_7461-870x580.jpg 870w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Gill Rolfe at Aldgate Press in their former premises on Gunthorpe Street E1, 2013. By Colin O\u2019Brien, courtesy of Jan O\u2019Brien<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">Basically everybody was equal within the business, just everybody had different roles to play and different jobs to do. When it came to the end of the year, we all used to make the decision on if we had any spare money to spend what we would do with it, how we would spend it, whether we would invest in new equipment and what equipment we needed, whether we decided we would give ourselves a bonus, so we all got together and all decided on those decisions, which was really nice that you had that opportunity. So if where the area that you worked you felt like you needed a piece of equipment, you could go and say, \u2018well, actually, this really needs replacing,\u2019 or, you know, and we would just prioritise what was more necessary or what needed replacing rather than someone, you know, a boss actually saying, \u2018no, we\u2019re not doing that. We\u2019re not doing this,\u2019 you know, it&nbsp;was quite nice to have that input.<\/span><\/p><p><span class=\"has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color\">As a co-op we were all paid the same wage no matter what job you did. Everybody was paid the same, and everybody just had a different role to play, so, you know, some people say, \u2018but how is that fair if you\u2019re doing a more physical, more manual job?\u2019 but then at the end of the day, you\u2019re a co-op; you\u2019re all in it together. That was my part that I played, like my role I played. You know, I wasn\u2019t bothered by that because everybody had their own role that they played and part that they did.<\/span><\/p><cite><strong>Gill Rolfe, Aldgate Press \/ Lithosphere<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"rl-gallery-container rl-loading\" id=\"rl-gallery-container-1\" data-gallery_id=\"614\"> <div class=\"rl-gallery rl-basicgrid-gallery rl-hover-effect-1\" id=\"rl-gallery-1\" data-gallery_no=\"1\"> <div class=\"rl-gallery-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/AP-IMG_7662-copy-2-scaled.jpg\" title=\"Andy Holmes of Aldgate Press at their former premises on Gunthorpe Street E1, 2013. By Colin O\u2019Brien, courtesy of Jan O\u2019Brien\" data-rl_title=\"Andy Holmes of Aldgate Press at their former premises on Gunthorpe Street E1, 2013. By Colin O\u2019Brien, courtesy of Jan O\u2019Brien\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"Andy Holmes of Aldgate Press at their former premises on Gunthorpe Street E1, 2013. By Colin O\u2019Brien, courtesy of Jan O\u2019Brien\" data-rel=\"norl\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/AP-IMG_7662-copy-2-200x300.jpg\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" alt=\"Person printing at Aldgate Press\" \/><span class=\"rl-gallery-caption\"><span class=\"rl-gallery-item-caption\">Andy Holmes of Aldgate Press at their former premises on Gunthorpe Street E1, 2013. By Colin O\u2019Brien, courtesy of Jan O\u2019Brien<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div><div class=\"rl-gallery-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/AP-IMG_7693-scaled.jpg\" title=\"Suhail of Aldgate Press at their former premises on Gunthorpe Street E1, 2013. By Colin O\u2019Brien, courtesy of Jan O\u2019Brien\" data-rl_title=\"Suhail of Aldgate Press at their former premises on Gunthorpe Street E1, 2013. By Colin O\u2019Brien, courtesy of Jan O\u2019Brien\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"Suhail of Aldgate Press at their former premises on Gunthorpe Street E1, 2013. By Colin O\u2019Brien, courtesy of Jan O\u2019Brien\" data-rel=\"norl\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/AP-IMG_7693-201x300.jpg\" width=\"201\" height=\"300\" alt=\"Person at printing press\" \/><span class=\"rl-gallery-caption\"><span class=\"rl-gallery-item-caption\">Suhail of Aldgate Press at their former premises on Gunthorpe Street E1, 2013. By Colin O\u2019Brien, courtesy of Jan O\u2019Brien<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div><div class=\"rl-gallery-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/AP-IMG_7619-scaled.jpg\" title=\"Aldgate Press at their former premises on Gunthorpe Street E1, 2013. By Colin O\u2019Brien, courtesy of Jan O\u2019Brien\" data-rl_title=\"Aldgate Press at their former premises on Gunthorpe Street E1, 2013. By Colin O\u2019Brien, courtesy of Jan O\u2019Brien\" class=\"rl-gallery-link\" data-rl_caption=\"Aldgate Press at their former premises on Gunthorpe Street E1, 2013. By Colin O\u2019Brien, courtesy of Jan O\u2019Brien\" data-rel=\"norl\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/AP-IMG_7619-300x199.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"199\" alt=\"View of Aldgate Press\" \/><span class=\"rl-gallery-caption\"><span class=\"rl-gallery-item-caption\">Aldgate Press at their former premises on Gunthorpe Street E1, 2013. By Colin O\u2019Brien, courtesy of Jan O\u2019Brien<\/span><\/span><\/a><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Short excerpt text<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":318,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,54,43,55],"tags":[10,7,8,9],"class_list":["post-8","post","type-post","status-publish","format-gallery","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-businesses","category-radical-presses","category-tower-hamlets","category-workers-co-operatives","tag-bow","tag-offset-litho","tag-tower-hamlets","tag-whitechapel","post_format-post-format-gallery"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":752,"href":"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8\/revisions\/752"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lightboxeslettering.com\/exhibition\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}