Gary Gregory

Printing in Boston in the 1760s and 1770s and its Critical Role in the Revolution

Printers played a critical role in the Revolution, and none was more important than Edes & Gill. In this session you’ll join Gary, proprietor of a recreated Edes & Gill, in his shop as he begins his day. You’ll get a close look at the process of type setting and the operation of the common press and the rolling press. You’ll also learn how the Sons of Liberty used the press, particularly Edes & Gill, in the run up to the Revolution, how these large presses were broken down and moved outside of Boston to keep the news flowing during the siege, and what happened when a copy of the Declaration of Independence arrived in Boston. Gary will also describe the research he’s done to make exact reproductions of the Boston broadside of the Declaration of Independence.

Gary Gregory is the proprietor of Edes & Gill, one of the most consequential printers in Revolutionary Boston. Today Edes & Gill operates out of the Clough House on the grounds of Old North Church in Boston.