Howard Iron Works

Howard Iron Works restores antique printing machinery and manages a printing museum honouring the legacy of printing's past.

[Howard Iron Works @HowardIronWorks]

This year, we created a poster in honour of #RemembranceDay. Visitors to the PE&F2026 got to print their own poster, as did groups who visited the museum for a tour. On Nov 11, we honour all men and women who served, those still serving, and those lost. Lest we forget.

[Howard Iron Works @HowardIronWorks]

Thank you, Lea and Damir, for the lovely message you left in our Guestbook. Lea drew the most adorable #beaver ever! ❤️ Glad you enjoyed the visit to the museum – hope you’ll come back for another visit one day.
#printingmuseum #printinghistory #beaver #Canada #Slovenia #artists

[Howard Iron Works @HowardIronWorks]

CLA offers engaging online talks on a range of letterpress topics and in-person gatherings throughout the year, inviting CLA members and the wider community to connect and learn.
#printingmuseum #PrintingHistory

[Howard Iron Works @HowardIronWorks]

Sharing some photos of the Canadian Letterpress Alliance at the recent Print Expo & Fair in Sep 2026. The Canadian Letterpress Alliance is a welcoming community of #letterpress printers across Canada who share prints, ideas, and knowledge. #printingmuseum #PrintingHistory

[Howard Iron Works @HowardIronWorks]

Psst – this beauty is turning 100 next year. This 1927 #Heidelberg T Platen #windmill has been in our collection since the 1980s. We’re excited to celebrate the milestone next year. Stay tuned. #printingmuseum #printinghistory #museumrestoration #platenpress #letterpress

[Howard Iron Works @HowardIronWorks]

Missing parts were made in-house at the museum's machine shop. More often than not, drawings aren't available to our restorers, so they have to rely on their creativity and experience to make it work.
#printingmuseum #printinghistory #museumrestoration #Washington #IronHandPress

[Howard Iron Works @HowardIronWorks]

Preserving the original is top of mind when restoring a machine like this Foster Iron Hand Press, ca. 1860s. Organic materials such as wood and leather often deteriorate with age and use. We saved the wooden drum and one handle but had to replace all the leather belts.

[Howard Iron Works @HowardIronWorks]

Last night, the Lighthouse’s Rebecca Street building and garden were awash in blue light to celebrate ten years in the building and the start of Children’s Grief Awareness Month. Congratulations, @lighthousegrief! Thank you for being a beacon of hope. #grievingchildren

[Howard Iron Works @HowardIronWorks]

Founded in 1999, The Lighthouse for Grieving Children began with one group of children in a church basement. Today, they support hundreds of children, teens & their families each year. In Nov 2016, the Lighthouse moved to 2522 Rebecca St. #Oakville #GriefAwarenessMonth

[Howard Iron Works @HowardIronWorks]

Thrilled to have this roll-to-roll ticket printer that tints, prints 2 colours, numbers, perforates, slits, & rewinds in our collection. The Pautze uses the #GenevaDrive mechanism, or #MalteseCross, to enable continuous intermittent advancement of the paper web along the rail.

[Howard Iron Works @HowardIronWorks]

Our Victoria, manufactured circa 1932, still has the swing feeder intact, which is very rare today, as most feeders were removed to make hand-feeding easier.

#printinghistory #printingmuseum #GallyPrinciple #diecutter #platenpress #museumrestoration

[Howard Iron Works @HowardIronWorks]

This is a 1970s Man-Nen Type Caster. We acquired it in 2014 from Ho Sun Hing Printers, along with Chinese matrices. Founded in 1910 by Mr. Lap Tong Lam, the print shop served the Chinese community in the #Vancouver area for over a century, until it closed in 2014.

[Howard Iron Works @HowardIronWorks]

Having fun with the #Halloween theme inspired by #TheShining. Meet our own Grady Twins, the Hopkinson Cope #Albion sisters.

#printingmuseum #ironpresses #museumrestoration #happyhalloween #horrormovies #TheShining #GradyTwins

[Howard Iron Works @HowardIronWorks]

This lightbox, hand-painted in reverse on glass by a Dutch artist, is inspired by the 1694 work of father & son Jan & Caspar #Luyken, famous for engravings of various trades. Featured here are #Papermaker #Bookbinder #Engraver #IntaglioPrinter #BookPrinter #BookSeller

[Howard Iron Works @HowardIronWorks]

Smile - it’s Monday! Hope you don't need to complain today.
#nostalgia #funnysigns #sillysigns #MondayFunnies

[Howard Iron Works @HowardIronWorks]

Excited to start restoring a recently acquired C. Foster Washington Iron Press. At 23” x 31”, the Foster, manufactured in Cincinnati, offers versatility in what you can print. As with any machine that enters our restoration shop, a lot of work must come first. Stay tuned.

[Howard Iron Works @HowardIronWorks]

A poem by famed NY editor Robert H. Davis (1869-1942), written for R. Hoe Co., the giant printing-press manufacturer in the 1910s. Since then, it has appeared in about 1,600 papers, printed in the millions, often paraphrased, and translated into many languages.
#printinghistory

[Howard Iron Works @HowardIronWorks]

This Friday, we flash back to spring 2025: we joined Heidelberg’s 175th anniversary celebration with a poster showing the evolution of the brand’s logo. We tasked the fully restored 1920 Heidelberg Exquisit Cylinder Press with printing it. #printinghistory #printingmuseum

[Howard Iron Works @HowardIronWorks]

Here is an unintentional mini United Nations corner, featuring #Germany (Krause Gold Press), #Switzerland (Muller E3), #Netherlands (Mercedes Cylinder), and #USA (Miehle Verticals). What could they be discussing: #Ukraine, #Iran, or #football?
#printingmuseum #UnitedNations

[Howard Iron Works @HowardIronWorks]

Thank you, Oakville Lakeside Residents Association, for introducing our Museum in the Fall 2026 Newsletter. Special thanks to Hazel Cole for writing the article. The museum is open weekdays, 10 am to 4 pm, by appointment. Book your tour by emailing [email protected].