So William Heirens, a man convicted of some brutal murders in the fifties, is the subject of a new plate that we are borrowing at PRESS. The plate and another one tout the evils of alcohol, somewhat gruesomely, but also quite beautifully. They were made by the American Business Men’s Research Foundation sometime in the 1950’s.We’re trying to find out who and what the American Business Men’s Research Foundation was. And it turns out that one of my cousin’s–who is a correctional officer at the Dixon Correctional Center in Illinois knows William Heirens. Small world, right?

These plates and a bunch of others are currently on loan from Roberta Lamb and her sister Fran, two long-time North Adams residents who have been coming down to PRESS at times during the summer. They are wonderfully generous and letting us borrow the plates and some great lead type from their family collection.

Yesterday I did some VERY quick tests to see what they have. I’ll be using some of the plates on Sunday, September 4th between 11-2 p.m. Feel free to stop by. In the meantime, here are some of the images.

If you look carefully, you’ll see Lady Liberty, the outline of the state of Massachusetts, the North Adams Seal, a really super fabulous radio tower, some initial text and other good things. Just fun, fun, fun!