Hatch Show Print
Print shop · Downtown ·
Historic letterpress shop printing iconic music posters since 1879
Historic letterpress shop printing iconic music posters since 1879
"Hatch Show Print is internationally famous for its country music relief prints. They aren't biased to country music either. They've done some killer work for a king: Elvis! Hatch has made Nashville its home for over a century now and has remained a letterpress work horse, delivering all designs operated on their 9 beautifully crafted presses. The store can now be visited and toured 3 times a day for an hour. They also have a classroom to lay down some knowledge on how the process works and the rich history behind the Nashville staple." - ST8MNT
"Sawtooth Print Shop is a letterpress and design studio, born out of Chris Cheney and Nieves Uhl's love of printmaking. The duo met at the infamous Hatch Show Print, and later became neighbors and business partners. Starting with a cabinet of type, thrown from a barn during a tornado, and a rescued antique printing press, they now print incredible work from posters to invitations and personal projects. You can stop by and pick up a print of your own or just get an inside look into the art of letterpress." - Perky Bros
"A working letterpress shop with roots stretching back to the 19th century, where visitors can watch traditional printing techniques in action, purchase classic posters, or take hands-on Block Party workshops to create their own prints using vintage type and hand-carved imagery." - Lydia Mansel Lydia Mansel Lydia Mansel is a writer with more than eight years of experience editing and writing for both brands and online publications—with a particular focus on travel, fashion, and lifestyle. She’s also the founder of the travel site justpacked.com. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"Part of the Country Music Hall of Fame, Hatch Show Print has been churning out show posters for some of Nashville’s biggest venues and most celebrated artists for more than 140 years. The shop still prints more than 500 posters per year, but visitors can also snatch up a token of Nashville history in the form of replica vintage posters like the one founder William Hatch made for the Grand Ole Opry in 1941. It's not just a place to pick up souvenirs, though. Temporary exhibitions and displays of archival posters are in rotation, and real letterpress geeks can sign up for tours and workshops. Ultimately, the crowd is pretty touristy, but there are plenty of locals who have a piece of Hatch history in their homes." - Margaret Littman
"“Advertising without posters is like fishing without worms.” — The Hatch Brothers One of the oldest letterpress print shops in America got its start when the Hatch brothers founded Nashville’s Hatch Show Print in 1879. Originally known as CR and HH Hatch, the company made its first handbill for the brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe, nailing what has become the company’s trademark style from the outset. Their work has always been renowned for its balanced use of type, masterful composition, and well-chosen graphics. Hatch Show Print’s early “glory days” coincided with the golden age of Nashville’s country music scene. Though it certainly didn’t hurt that from 1925 until 1992, the shop was located directly behind the Ryman Auditorium, aka “the Mother Church of Country Music,” much of Hatch’s reputation during this period was built upon the shoulders of Will T. Hatch (son of co-founder Charles). Using his skills as a master woodblock carver, some of the most memorable posters for America’s biggest music stars were produced either by his hand, or under his artistic direction. Though bills featuring country icons like Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, and Emmylou Harris may be what first comes to mind, Hatch never played favorites. The shop has produced work for the likes of B.B. King, Etta James, Bruce Springsteen, and Duke Ellington, only to have the posters become sought-after collector’s items. Moreover, during the “lean years” when offset printing briefly blinded the public to the value of such labors of love, Hatch maintained its business and a reputation of approachability by embracing everyone who came through the door, whether they be pro-wrestlers, owners of a grocery store, or Louis Armstrong. What resulted was a delightful paper trail of American history unlike any other. In 2013, the shop was relocated part-and-parcel to the lobby of the Country Music Hall of Fame, where it manages to retains its original air of independence-soaked history. Hatch remains a fully-functioning print shop, lovingly crafting over 150,000 posters each year in their own distinct aesthetic. Tours of the studio are offered seven days a week, drawing together poster nerds, music geeks, history buffs, and art freaks all eager to see the next iconic print roll off the presses." - ATLAS_OBSCURA
