Inspired by the industrial heritage of Cornwall, the theme of the 2026 CPHC/Print Networks Conference will be under the heading of Print, Printing and Industrial Heritage. It will be held at Kresen Kernow, Redruth, Cornwall 10-11 June 2026.
Cornwall, known for its rugged and ancient landscape, is steeped in history, which provides it with a unique and distinctive identity. From Bronze age trade, civil war and the rise of Methodism, it is famed for its mining, fishing and farming industries and has been home to many authors, artists, inventors and industrialists. George Cheshire, printer and bookseller, perhaps introduced printing to Cornwall when he set up his press in Launceston in 1719. From then, printing gradually spread around the county and began flourishing in the latter half of the eighteenth century in response to Cornwall’s industrial and commercial development, and an increase in communication and travel.
The ‘Print, Printing and Industrial Heritage’ theme is open to a to a wide range of interpretations, but topics might include, but are not limited to:
Print Culture and Industrial Heritage(s) Printed matter about trade and industry in all its various forms, industrial publishing in its widest sense, embracing the literature of trade and the business ephemera required for the smooth running of industry.
Industrial Heritage of Printing How the processes and practices of printing evolved in tandem with the growth of trade and industry, how printing adopted some of the processes of industry and how industry absorbed some of the process of printing, and how the industrial printing heritage is being preserved and promoted.
Printing, Industry, and Local Identity How print has contributed to the sense of local identity, with respect to aspects of trade and industry.
Materials of Print and Printing Lead, tin, antimony, iron/steel, paper, ink, leather, cloth, plastics, film, and photographic materials, their local industrial sources, development, and distribution.
Print and the Industrial Landscape Representations of local geography, geology, and topography in print, with respect to aspects of trade and industry.
Print and the Langauge of Trade How printed matter reflects and preserves the distinctive language and vocabulary of industrial heritage(s).
Proposals on all periods of print from early modern to the present are welcome. Papers relating specifically to Cornwall, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will be particularly appropriate, but other perspectives are also very welcome.
Proposals for papers of twenty minutes and for themed panels of three or more speakers are invited. Forms of presentation other than papers are also welcome, such as performance, film, artefacts and displays. Abstracts of 300 words should be accompanied by brief biographies and sent to Caroline Archer-Parré by 31 January 2026. It is understood that papers offered to the conference will be original work and will not have been previously delivered to any similar conference or published elsewhere.