GPO History Talk 

May 15, 2013 

George Barnum, Agency Historian 
Printing and bookbinding are trades deeply anchored in the traditions and 

practices of apprentice training. The making of books developed in the age 

of guilds, and the understanding of the trade has always been passed from 

master to novice. 
Historically, inexperienced (generally young) workers were bound (with 

vvritten agreements) to work for experienced craftsmen, usually for little or 

no wage beyond room & board, for a set period ranging from3 to 7 years. 

From there they would progress to being "journeymen" for another set 

period. 
GPO AND 

APPRENTICESHIP 

• The Public Printer first gained 

authority ro train apprentices 

in 1895, although an annual 

report from 1887 indicates 

that some were on the scene 

before that. Public Printer 

Thomas Benedict registered 

his displeasure with the 

practice: 

• My ownjudgment is that the 

Government should only 

employ skilled labor, and it is 

not beneficial to any class of 

mechanics Ii. e. printers and 

bookbinders] to be trained on 

the job." 
GPO AND 

APPRENTICESHIP 

• Congress, it seems, did not share his convictions, and 

in 1895, authorized apprenticeship at GPO as a 

provision of the mammoth Printing Act of 1895. 
GPO AND 

APPRENTICESHIP 

• That authority, however, 

wasn't exercised until 1922, 

when Public Printer George 

H. Carter argued that, 

• "It is highly essential that 

GPO resume the work of 

training its own workers." 
• Mr. Carter was responsible 

for many Progressive Era 

reforms at GPO. 

200 

• After arranging for the Civil \r 

bc 1n,:: t,1t1i::ht

Printing, rlatcmakmg, phOLo-cngn.i, mg. Service Commission to rrc ,,01k, h111J111g and machm1sL Lradt:s

conduct an examination to 

provide candidates, he 

appointed the 25 the law 

allowed in 1923. He then 

sought and received 

authority to hire more, and 

Congress raised the limit to 

200. 
• Students received practical 

instruction as well as 

classroom work in academic 

subjects such as grammar 

and history. 
• Mr. Carter reported: 

• "For patriotic motives...the 

first copy [set up in type by 

students] consists of 

Washington's Farewell 

Address .. .Lincoln's 

Ge ttysburg Address, . . . 

and the Star Spangled 

Banner 

a 

II 

a 

I111 

II 

a 

I 1 1. h !TLC)..

A , 

IATE yourself

wtth men of good 

<ju,1hcy. 1f you · t..:..:m your 

own rcputaaon. for 1t 1 

better to be alom; than m 

bad company L:t your 

conv..:1,..mon be without 

ma lice or envy for 1t I a ,1gn 

of a tractable .m<l commendable nature md m ,111 cau..~ 

of pa 10n admit rw.son to 

govern 

George W .ishmgton 
• The apprentice school grew 

steadily and became integral 

to GPO's daily life. Most 

internal communications 

( cafeteria menus, posters, 

newsletters, announcements) 

were set up and printed by 

apprentices, who also seived 

as guides for the many tours 

of "the big shop." 
Whal ma~ a tood prlnttr • 

~ING CARE is the first and ovcnhaclowing rcquir 

mcnt in the make-up of a good printer. 

ION TO DETAIL and to little thing, determines the 

workman or the" slob" (a clumsy, 1lovcnly, or 

worthiest peraon-Web1tcr.) 

Low De Vinne a foremoat print.er of hil day 

entbu,iaatic advocate of thoe principles. 

GPO apprentices often (perhaps mostly) spent the rest of their working lives 

at GPO. 
• The school flourished in its 

1920s/30s form until World 

War II, when it was 

discontinued for the 

duration. It was restored, 

accepting only veterans, in 

1947. From then until the 

197Os numbers grew, and the 

classes were more racially 

diverse, but only men were 

recruited. 

• Women rejoined the 

apprentice ranks in 1974 
• Apprentice classes today are 

recruited periodically, as 

demand for particular skills 

dictates.