Upcoming Events

Jul 22

Workshop

Open to Penn Students, Faculty, and Staff

Studio Use Training: Letterpress Printing

Learn and practice the basics of letterpress printing and typesetting! This orientation is required as a prerequisite for working on independent projects at Common Press.

July 22, 2025
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library, Lower Level

Jul 24

Workshop

Open to the Public

Coffee with a Codex: On calculation with integers and fractions

For Coffee With A Codex on July 24, Curator Dot Porter will bring out a copy of the text On calculation with integers and fractions, written in Baghdad in A.H. 590 (1194).

July 24, 2025
12:00pm - 12:30pm
Online

Photo of a manuscript page written in Arabic

Jul 25

Open to the Public

Open Studio: The Post Office Turns 250!

We'll celebrate the 250th birthday of the post office by making mail! Sign up to stop by any time during the event and letterpress print a quote from the first postmaster general Ben Franklin or use our rubber stamp collections to make some mail art.

July 25, 2025
12:00pm - 2:00pm
Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library, Lower Level

Print of a postage stamp, Ben Franklin's signature, 1975, Philadelphia, PA

Jul 30

Open to Penn Students, Faculty, and Staff

History of Type and Letterpress Printing with Guided Tour and Demonstration

Experience a guided tour and demonstration of letterpress printing and typography.

July 30, 2025
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library, Lower Level

A classical scene showing two women in draped garments surrounded by five children, all of whom are handling pieces of printing equipment

Jul 31

Workshop

Open to the Public

Coffee with a Codex: Astronomical Texts (Two fragments from the same original manuscript)

For Coffee With A Codex on July 31, Curator Dot Porter will bring out two fragments of a number of astronomical texts in Middle English, written in England circa 1496.

July 31, 2025
12:00pm - 12:30pm
Online

Photo of a manuscript page written in Middle English

Aug 06

Workshop

Open to Penn Students, Faculty, and Staff

Studio Use Training: Letterpress Printing

Learn and practice the basics of letterpress printing and typesetting. This orientation is required as a prerequisite for working on independent projects at Common Press.

August 6, 2025
10:00am - 12:00pm
Common Press, Fisher Fine Arts Library, Lower Level

Aug 07

Workshop

Open to the Public

Coffee with a Codex: The Voynich Manuscript (Facsimile)

On August 7, Curator Dot Porter will bring out a facsimile of Beinecke Library MS 408, aka The Voynich Manuscript. This is a realistic facsimile that looks exactly like the real thing!