Located in the lobby of the building that houses the Country Music Hall of Fame, I highly recommend that any visitor to Nashville takes The Hatch Show Print Tour. Even if you haven’t heard of Hatch, you will recognize their work when you see it. The artisans at Hatch are still doing what they did 140 years ago, and the history of this letterpress shop is a walk through American art and history.
The golden age of Hatch Show Print began in the 1920’s when the shop moved to 4th Avenue, just behind the Ryman Auditorium where the Grand Ole Opry was bustling with the top performers of the day. Hatch designed and printed all the posters for the Ryman shows and also for the acts that played there like Minnie Pearl, Hank Williams, Bill Monroe, and countless others… Today, Hatch operates their busy shop in the building shared with the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Anyone can shop in the gift shop, but on the Hatch Show Print Tour, you get a look into Music City History as all the country music greats built their brands on this iconic letterpress style. You’ll learn how the Hatch employees use the letterpress to roll ink on hand-set wood and metal type and hand carved imagery. The pressure of the press then transfers the ink from the blocks to the paper, one color at a time, one piece of paper at a time. You’ll even get to operate the letterpress and take a commemorative print home with you.
The Hatch Show Print gift shop sells prints, cards, and other items with the iconic Hatch Show Print designs. I’ve bought several posters in the bargain bin as you never know what you’ll discover in there. If you’re on the hunt for other Hatch Show Prints, you can also find a great selection at the Ryman Auditorium gift shop and the Grand Ole Opry gift shop. www.HatchShowPrint.com
