The printers of the past: engraving workshop

The activity “Printers of the past: engraving workshop” is designed for students in the last cycle of primary school (5th and 6th grade) and its objective is to introduce students to an ancient profession: that of engraver.

This activity is divided into two distinct parts. First, the visit to the Museum’s permanent collection that will put students in context through an audiovisual, original support material and, finally, the observation of the original woodcuts and engravings preserved in the Museum and an original 17th century printing press. This part of the activity will explain what the engraving technique consists of, what a matrix is ​​and what consequences engraving had in a society in which very few people could access images and books. A piece of furniture specially designed to store the woodcut matrices, the special tools that were used (such as gouges, chisels or formers), an original sample book and a game of the auca, predecessor of the current game of the oca, will also be shown.

The group then moves to the workshop room, where the challenge consists of making a matrix with the design of an original square from the game of goose on a rubber support with a gouge. Once the piece has been designed and engraved to highlight the main drawing, the students will have to ink this matrix and stamp it on a large game board. Finally, they will all play a short game of the game of goose with the squares they have created and the group will be able to take the matrices and the game board back to the classroom.

Through this activity, students come closer to discovering an ancient craft, become aware of the importance of cultural heritage and develop their imagination, creativity and meticulousness in an activity that will allow them to know what the “printers” of the past were like.