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The Broad-Side Poem and its kin the Broad-Side Ballad, have a long History in the worlds of Literature, Music, Commerce and Politics. From about the late 15th century on and perhaps even before, the Broad-Side was there in every historic scene, be it sitting on the table, tacked to the wall, or hiding beneath the bed ... The Broad-Side was there!
The Broad-Side loosely defined is a sheet of printed paper, then usually folded, or perhaps sometimes not. Poems, Ballads, Political Rants, and News Events were often their best fodder. There have most likely been Broad-Sides since the first days, when flat paper first hit the writing table, but what really upped the pace of Broad-Side production was the invention of the printing press. With each improvement of the printing press came an increase in Broad-Side production.
Guttenberg's press, with its moveable and reuseable type, had much to do with the increase in production and sale of Broad-Sides. As more printed matter was passed along throughout Europe, the greater its reading public grew, and so did the demand for printed matter. And though the demand for printed matter increased greatly, the income of the consumer did not. Books were expensive, even chap-books were priced beyond what many new readers could afford. So, here is where the life of the Broad-Side comes into focus. Broard-Sides could be produced cheaply, easily and rapidly. Often, they could be produced as Penny-Fly Papers, One Sheet Ballads, Folded Page Poems, and sold for about a penny each. Poets, Song Writers, and Itinerit Reporters could print or have printed Broad-Sides of their own making or choice and then take them and sell them to the new reading public via Street Hawkers or Road Peddlars.
One of the main boons to the Publishing World is often overlooked and seldom mentioned, and that is the invention of the permanent or semi permanent metal printing plate, and with this came the long run ability of pictoral prints. These permanent plates brought much to the Publishing World. Wood Cut plates had a short run life, with each new wood cut plate would come change and loss, much as the telephone game. Blake, the great poet, was a plate engraver.
The late I. Bernard Cohen, Harvard Science Historian and Science History Professor, was quoted as saying that the invention of the Metal Engraved Printing Plate did much for the progress of Science because no longer did the drawing text change with each person who drew the text.
In today's world of quick text, instant information and plentiful reading matter, the long ago days where Peddlars and
Poets would commission Printers to print Broad-Side Poems and Ballads, and even at times bringing in rags for paper making to be traded toward more paper, is all but forgot. But perhaps, somewhere deep down inside of every Printer, every Poet and every Songwriter, there is an echo of a memory of the days when the Printer and Poet or the Printer and the Songwriter would work together and create a Broad-Side with a poem or a song, with a print engraving to be taken out to Rural America or Rural Europe, or perhaps just to the inner depths of the urban city. Places where in those days, that this Broad-Side might be the only printed matter in the home, or the first printed matter to enter the camp or home in such a very long long time.
A song with a print to be placed on the piano, "What a treasure!"
A poem with a print of Niagara Falls to be hung over the mantle so it could be shown and read to the children, "Bought it from a Peddlar, who passed by Last Spring."
We hope you enjoy the poem and print on the co-side of this Broad-Side and we also hope you enjoy owning and being part of the long history of Roadpoet Broad-Side History.
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For more information on this poster and other Roadpoet Items please contact Roadpoetmagazine@webtv.net.
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