This metal stick is called a Composing Stick and was used by the compositor to set type and get it ready for printing.

He held the stick in his left hand and set the type in the composing stick upside down and left to right.

The phrase 'Mind your p's and q's' comes from printing as often in setting type the lower q's and p's were mixed up due to looking similar in reverse.

When in training, apprentice compositors were often tested by being blindfolded and asked to set a pangram (a sentence with every letter of the English alphabet in it) - 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog'.

The hand model in the photo is of the late Alf McCormack, who was a retired printer. This photograph was taken in the National Print Museum located in Dublin, Ireland.

The 'g' is upside and a deliberate error.

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Limited Edition of 75 (of A2 paper sized) black & white prints. Printed on Hahnemuhle Museum Etching 350gsm FineArt paper with LUCIA pigment inks, which combined have an age resistance of 80+ years, if kept out of direct UV light. 

Each Limited Edition print will come with a Certificate of Authenticity along with uniquely-coded holographic labels that are affixed to the back of your print and on the certificate. These are registered with a Art Registry.

The print is unframed, with a white border to facilitate framing.

Every Limited Edition print is numbered and signed by the artist, with the month and year when printed. All photographs are printed to order.

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Prints are shipped rolled in an protective thick cardboard tube through registered post from Ireland. Registered post with An Post offers secure postage to over 200 destinations worldwide, online tracking, insurance and compensation.

[unregistered post is available on request prior to making your order, please email me]

All listed prices are inclusive of Taxes (VAT 23%). Postage is costed separately.