Bowne & Co.

11/21/2025

Are you looking for a unique holiday gift for a special someone on your list? Bowne & Co. at the South Street Seaport Museum has you covered!

Whether you’re looking for a carefully-curated selection of unique wares including art and children books, candles, home decor, stationery, games, oddities, as well as house-designed and -printed paper goods, or would rather gift experiences like a one-of-a-kind letterpress printing workshop using historical 19th century printing presses and type, we’ve got something for everyone.

And, we’re thrilled to announce that you can now purchase a new, limited-edition Bowne & Co. foundry apron, which is hot off the press! When you purchase an apron, the funds are a tax-deductible donation that go directly to supporting the preservation of the historic letterpress print shop. Whether you’re treating a special someone or yourself, this highly-anticipated apron beautifully blends the craft and history of Bowne & Co.

🛍️: Shop at 211 Water Street and online at bowne.co
👩‍🎨: Learn more about ongoing programming and workshops and the history of Bowne & Co. at bit.ly/bowne-co

05/30/2025

Join us Sunday, June 8, between 12pm and 2pm to get hands-on with the South Street Seaport Museum working collection of historical letterpress printing equipment and Print Your Own Father’s Day Card!

Looking for a special Father’s Day gift? Come to Bowne & Co. to join the talented designers in creating a festive Father’s Day card using the Museum’s 19th century historical printing equipment.

04/09/2025

The South Street Seaport Museum monthly family activity celebrates the history of printing in the Seaport. Sign up today! bit.ly/family-activity-weekends

Weekends in April, families and visitors of all ages are invited to learn about the history of printing and its deep connections to the Seaport. Through this hands-on activity, you can use cardboard rollers, letters cut from foam sheets, and washable paint to make your own mini printing tool inspired by impression rollers—like those used by the professional printers at Bowne & Co.—and then use the tool to print your newspaper-inspired headlines.

You can write and create your own headline or use one of the pre-made rollers we’ll have on hand. Drop in and get printing!

📅 Saturdays & Sundays, April 1–30
📍 207 Water Street (outdoors on the cobblestones if the weather is nice!)
🎟️ Free, seaportmuseum.org/family-activity-weekends

02/26/2025

Join the South Street Seaport Museum at Bowne & Co. on March 8 for a 90-minute Chisel Tip Calligraphy Workshop at 12pm or 2pm.

Discover the art and historical methodologies of calligraphic writing with the expert designers from Bowne. In this hands-on workshop, you'll learn the fundamentals of drawing Roman capitals and lowercase letters using a chisel tip calligraphy pen, which you can take home with you to keep refining your skills.

🎟️ : $5, seaportmuseum.org/chisel-tip-calligraphy

Space is limited and is sure to fill quickly—register now! All supplies are included.

Join the professional designers at Bowne & Co. for a special workshop that explores the art and historical methodologies of calligraphic writing.

11/30/2024

This Small Business Saturday (Shop Small), celebrate the essential role Bowne & Co. plays in fostering appreciation and understanding of New York’s evolution as a printing and graphic arts capital at the South Street Seaport Museum.

Small Business Saturday highlights the contributions of small businesses nationwide, honoring their impact on local communities. At Bowne & Co., New York’s maritime and printing history come alive. The Printing Office continues the tradition of small-batch printing using historic presses from the Museum’s working collection, while Stationers, a 19th-century-style gift emporium, offers unique wares like books, stationery, oddities, and house-designed and -printed paper goods. Learn more about Bowne & Co at seaportmuseum.org/bowne-co-stationers

More than just a small business, Bowne & Co. is a living exhibit showcasing the Museum’s printing history, typography and graphics arts collections. Visitors can attend workshops and live demonstrations year-round, experiencing firsthand the artistry of printing on historic presses, setting type, and working with intricately hand-cut wood blocks. This holiday season, visit Bowne & Co. Stationers in person or online to find distinctive gifts for everyone on your list, all while enjoying the 19th-century-inspired charm of the shop. Shop Small today online at bowne.co or in-person at 211 Water St. from 11am–5pm.

Images with Bowne & Co. visitors: Richard Bowditch

11/13/2024

The South Street Seaport Museum and Bowne & Co. will kick off the holiday season at the annual Wayzgoose—a 500-year-old printers’ tradition celebrating the changing of the seasons—on Thursday, November 21, between 6pm and 9pm.

Join the Museum community for light refreshments as the printers of Bowne & Co. give you the opportunity to get hands-on with historical printing equipment and print your own holiday-themed items. This event provides a special opportunity for printers to share the fruits of their labor with colleagues and friends, to raise a glass in celebration, and to reflect on the year and the joys of the upcoming holiday season.

❄️🕎🎄And, for those looking to get a head start on holiday shopping, be the first to check out this season’s delightful selection of holiday gifts, cards, and other seasonal paper goods at the Bowne & Co., Stationers gift emporium!

🎟: Free, seaportmuseum.org/wayzgoose

Step into Bowne & Co. to kick off the holiday season at our annual Wayzgoose––a 500-year-old printers’ tradition celebrating the changing of the seasons.

09/20/2024

October brings a special adults-only edition of the monthly Fresh Prints open house, presented in collaboration with the Seaport Museum and Downtown Alliance! Advanced registration is encouraged. Doors open at 6pm and drop-ins are welcome. seaportmuseum.org/fresh-prints

Join the Seaport Museum and Downtown Alliance for a creative evening of seaport-inspired fun at Bowne & Co. on Thursday, October 3 during our Fresh Prints Open House!

Here’s what you can expect:

👉 Explore the Museum’s historic printing equipment
👉 Watch live demonstrations of printing presses
👉 Try your hand at letterpress printing
👉 Learn hands-on maritime skills on Water Street
👉 Enjoy complimentary bites, wine, beer, and soda

This free, 21+ event is the perfect way to meet neighbors, learn new skills, and take home a unique printed keepsake! Advanced registration is encouraged. Doors open at 6pm and drop-ins are welcome. seaportmuseum.org/fresh-prints

08/29/2024

In 2023, the South Street Seaport Museum formally accessioned 495 works on paper created by the late Robert Warner (1956–2023), former Shopkeeper and Master Printer at Bowne & Co., into the Museum’s permanent collection. Learn more about Warner, his work, and the process of inventorying and imaging the collection in the latest Collections Chronicles Blog. seaportmuseum.org/robert-warner

A friend and colleague of the Seaport Museum, Robert Warner, former Shopkeeper and Master Printer at Bowne & Co., Stationers, passed away about a year ago. He had left Bowne & Co. in 2019 after designing and printing hundreds of projects for enamored clients, creating thousands of artworks, and welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Seaport Museum. His mark on the Museum, on New York City, and on the world was made with care, confidence, and warm reverence for the act of making––an act he found to be essential.

In 2023, the Seaport Museum formally accessioned 495 works on paper created by Warner (1956–2023) as part of the Museum’s permanent collection and, over the past year, staff and interns worked on researching, cataloging, and digitizing these marvelous letterpress and collaged paper constructions.

Learn more about the process of inventorying and imaging these works, in the latest Collections Chronicles Blog titled “The Works on Paper of Robert Warner. Cataloging the artist's impressions on New York” written jointly by Martina Caruso, Director of Collections and Exhibitions, and Rob Wison, Art Director and Operations Manager at Bowne & Co. at seaportmuseum.org/robert-warner

In the post, Caruso and Wilson share stories of Robert Warner from before he came to the Museum, and from when they worked with him. The Robert Warner Works on Paper Collection is now available for everyone to browse for free on the Museum’s Collections Online Portal, where it can continue to build connections, reveal nuggets of history, and offer delight to the museum community. Explore today at https://collectionsonline.southstreetseaportmuseum.org/group-detail/?dataId=26771

Image: “Untitled Postcard Collage” ca. 1990-2020. Paper, ink, stamp. Robert Warner Collection 2023.008.0135

07/17/2024

Join Bowne & Co. for an immersive 3-hour Print Your Own Stationery workshop where you’ll learn to use historical printing presses, type, and equipment from the Seaport Museum’s working collection! Limited spaces are still available for the following dates:

Saturday, July 27
Saturday, August 31
Saturday, September 28
Saturday, October 26

Get your tickets to come create your own bespoke edition of 35 notecards using a 19th-century printing press. This workshop is great for all skill levels and covers every part of the printing process—our professional printers will even teach you how to clean the press!

🎟️ Advanced registration is required. Ages 12 and up are welcome, and all supplies are included. Tickets are $100. All participants get to take home their set of custom-made stationery valued at $250. Live link in bio, or visit seaportmuseum.org/stationery-workshop

Photo credit Richard Bowditch

07/17/2024

Join Bowne & Co. for an immersive 3-hour Print Your Own Stationery workshop where you’ll learn to use historical printing presses, type, and equipment from the Seaport Museum’s working collection! Limited spaces are still available for the following dates:

Saturday, July 27
Saturday, August 31
Saturday, September 28
Saturday, October 26

Get your tickets to come create your own bespoke edition of 35 notecards using a 19th-century printing press. This workshop is great for all skill levels and covers every part of the printing process—our professional printers will even teach you how to clean the press!

🎟️ Advanced registration is required. Ages 12 and up are welcome, and all supplies are included. Tickets are $100. All participants get to take home their set of custom-made stationery valued at $250. seaportmuseum.org/stationery-workshop

Photo credit Richard Bowditch

06/28/2024

The fourth Sunday of July brings National Parents’ Day throughout the United States! Come to Bowne & Co. on Sunday, July 14, between 12pm and 2pm, to join the talented designers in creating festive Parents’ Day cards in advance of the special day.

Stop by Bowne & Co. to see and learn to use the Seaport Museum’s working collection of historical printing presses and printing types in action and to create your card. You can even invite your parent-figure to join in the fun and participate together.

Advanced registration is suggested for this free event but walk-ups will be accommodated as possible. Anyone ages 12 and up is welcome. All participants get to take home the cards they print during the afternoon! Live link in bio, or visit seaportmuseum.org/bowne-parents-day

Photo credit Richard Bowditch

06/28/2024

The fourth Sunday of July brings National Parents’ Day throughout the United States! Come to Bowne & Co. on Sunday, July 14, between 12pm and 2pm, to join the talented designers in creating festive Parents’ Day cards in advance of the special day.

Stop by Bowne & Co. to see and learn to use the South Street Seaport Museum’s working collection of historical printing presses and printing types in action and to create your card. You can even invite your parent-figure to join in the fun and participate together.

Advanced registration is suggested for this free event but walk-ups will be accommodated as possible. Anyone ages 12 and up is welcome. All participants get to take home the cards they print during the afternoon! seaportmuseum.org/bowne-parents-day

Photo credit Richard Bowditch

The fourth Sunday of July brings National Parents’ Day throughout the United States! Come to Bowne & Co. to join the talented designers in creating festive Parents’ Day cards in advance of the special day using the Museum’s 19th century historical printing equipment.