Hatch Show Print is a vibrant design gem in Nashville, famed for its stunning handcrafted woodblock prints that capture country music's essence and artistry.
"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
"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
"Inside adowntown complexthat also houses the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and the shiny, 23-story Omni Hotel sits Hatch Show Print, Nashville’s famous letterpress company. Established in 1879, the print shop created show posters for the likes of Elvis, Hank Williams, Duke Ellington, and Johnny Cash, and its straightforward, graphically bold signs continue to advertise every performance at the Ryman Auditorium to this day. Visitors to the shop can watch designers arrange hand-carved woodblocks or operate theantique letterpress machines that turn out the posters. In the gift shop next to the workroom, it’s a challengeto choose just one image from the colorful wall of posters for sale."
"A working print studio and shop front, Hatch Show Print is a Nashville institution, having produced advertisements and posters for local shows since 1879. Fittingly, it is now in the hands of the Country Music Hall of Fame. Here, you can buy reissued posters of old-fashioned advertisements and concerts—Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, Hank Snow, and more. The staff here is incredibly friendly and happy to answer your questions about the studio and its history. You can also have a poster custom-designed and printed there, but conceive your design way in advance, as these limited-edition prints take at least six weeks to prepare. "
