About - paddington printshop

Educational Resource

This site is an educational resource for anyone interested in community art and activism. The site hosts a selected poster archive and other materials created at Paddington Printshop. It also provides links to organisations associated with Paddington and to other allied archives, and reference materials.

Light brown ground with enjoined mirrored Rolls Royce cars whose tyres cross a building blueprint with white lettering Look What They Gave to the Mayor Today and Look What They Took from Us — John Phillips, 26 May Action Day, A1, 1976

Proto-punk

Paddington Printshop was a graphic art and printmaking centre active in west London between 1975 and 1989. The Printshop worked collaboratively with members of local organisations and campaigns to create over 400 poster designs, and thousands of leaflets. Printed in editions of between 50 and 500, the posters reflect the struggles and vibrancy of west London in the 70s and 80s. The centre’s do-it-yourself ethos was proto Punk. Indeed. Paddington Printshop is closely associated with the birth of Punk itself. Jamie Reid, and the Sex Pistols, printed the poster for their first gig there. Woody, AKA Joe Strummer of The Clash regularly printed posters for his squatters band The 101’ers.

Pale yellow ground green lettering The 101'ers at The Elgin — Joe ‘Woody’ Mellor AKA Joe Strummer. The 101’ers, 15” x 20”, 381 x 598mm, 1975

Community Arts and Activism

Paddington Printshop was one of the first community arts organisations in the UK to receive Arts Council support. As community art and activism grew the Printshop became a model for numerous other similar facilities in towns across England.

The Printstudio archive reflects shifts in the political landscape of the time, including: the rise of Thatcherism, the weakening of trade union influence, alongside a growth in community activism, feminism, anti-racism, LBGT rights, squatting, housing and social welfare issues.

A red cross is depicted on the outline of a door with the lettering Another Empty Home — Pippa Smith, Empty Homes Campaign 510 Centre, A2, 1976

The Bear next door!

Just for the record! Paddington Bear, although a close neighbour, has no association with the Printshop. However, we can reveal an unknown side to his story. 32 Windsor Gardens, where he allegedly lived with the Brown family, overlooks the side door of The Windsor Castle. By the late 70s, this venue had become a strip bar. However, during the Bear’s first days in that street it hosted the early gigs of The Rolling Stones, The Who, Dr Feelgood, The Jam U2 and many rising Rock ‘n Rollers. Lucky old bear!

lps21

Paddington Printshop.org is an educational resource created by lps21, the successor organisation to Paddington Printshop and londonprintstudio.

Materials on the site may be downloaded and used for educational and non commercial purposes.

If you have material, or information that you think will be of interest, or if you would simply like to say hello, please contact us.