Since it is the spooky season, we are letterpress printing some of the Halloween related items in our print shop at the Sacramento History Museum. It also helps that today, October 27th, is National Black Cat Day! This very small sort from a handy pack, which is less than an inch square, is from the Frank Cowsert Collection. This is from a handy pack made by the American Type Founders in the 1920s. Handy packs contain small symbols for informational or advertising purposes for printers in the letterpress trade. This particular handy pack is all holiday related. For today, Howard letterpress printed a piece of lead alloy type, also called a sort, of a black cat with its back arched. This was printed with black rubber base ink using our Washington hand press, which was manufactured in 1852. #NationalBlackCatDay #blackcat #cat #cats #halloween #history #letterpress #museum #sacramento #printing #printingpress #asmr #oldsacramento #printmaking #sachistorymuseum