THE AARDVARK INTERNATIONAL PRINT TOUR

Beginning in 2024, Enzo and his cousin Jonathan von Dehl set out on a world tour to discover and explore the global community of letterpress printers and artists who love the world of printing as much as they do. For each trip, they create a custom print to deliver to all the printers they visit along the way.

TRIP 2: SOUTHERN SWING
JUNE 1 - JUNE 14, 2025

Enzo and Jon set off on a letterpress-lover’s road trip through the South — part printing pilgrimage, part cultural adventure.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

Beginning in Nashville, they toured the legendary Hatch Show Print and paid an in-depth visit to Midtown Printing, a family-run shop tucked inside an old bowling alley. On the drive to Atlanta, they made the first of many stops at Waffle House— their initiation into the South’s finest form of deliciously greasy comfort food.

Atlanta proved printer-less this time, but they made the most of it: catching a Braves game and indulging in Chicken Fried Chicken with rice smothered in gravy.

Jon and Enzo at Hatch Show Print

Miehle at Hatch Show Print

Midtown Printing

Chicken Fried Chicken

In Montgomery, they visited Cotton & Pine Print Shop, where they admired a Miehle press up close, then stopped by the Hank Williams Museum to honor one of country music’s greats.

MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA

Cotton & Pine

Top: Jon, Robin (and Katsu, the bird), and Enzo at Cotton & Pine
Bottom: The sprayer at Cotton & Pine

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI

Jackson, Mississippi, brought one of the trip’s most memorable encounters — meeting Ed Inman, who runs a letterpress shop out of his garage and collects jukeboxes, cameras, 35mm projectors, and reels of ’70s B-movies. They spent the whole day with Ed, capping it off with a plate of classic Mississippi-style Mexican food.

Ed Inman

Jackson, Mississippi: Lamar Life Building built in 1924

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

New Orleans marked the final leg. Enzo fell in love with the St. Charles streetcar line, the oldest in the world. At Scriptura, owner Sallie Jones shared her beautifully curated shop of New Orleans-themed stationery and paper goods, then sent them to Domilise’s Po-Boy and Bar for an unforgettable taste of Louisiana.

Left to right: Peter (Scriptura pressman), Enzo, Jon and Sallie at Scriptura

Chandler & Price press at Scriptura

Scriptura in New Orleans

St. Charles streetcar, New Orleans

The last stop in New Orleans was at Fitzgerald Press, where owner John Fitzgerald — who began printing in Los Angeles — welcomed them warmly. (He even made a return visit to see us a few weeks later.)

While the trip was filled with joy, food, and the camaraderie of fellow printers, Enzo and Jon also took time to reflect on the South’s complex and often painful history. They visited the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in Jackson, the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, the Alabama State Capitol where Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as President of the Confederacy, and other sites of profound historical significance.

Educational, emotional, and full of unexpected connections, the Southern Swing was as enriching as it was fun. Enzo and Jon are grateful to every person who welcomed them along the way — and for the chance to experience the South through both its presses and its people.

Above: John Fitzgerald; Below: Edmund Pettus Bridge

And is our tradition for all our print tours, we created this special SOUTHERN SWING print to share at every shop along the tour.

WHAT ELSE IS ON … IN AND AROUND LA

  • HARBINGERS OF PROPHECY'S TOMORROW

    Opening Reception: Saturday September 6, 2025 6-9 PM
    On view through October 4, 2025

    Presented by Bermudez Projects
    1225 Cypress Avenue
    Los Angeles, CA 90065

    Featuring the works of over 15 artists the exhibition investigates the myriad ways in which artists utilize the images of birds as principle vehicles in their storytelling. Whether employed to communicate subtly, directly, or metaphorically, these majestically plumed avians share a common through-line as apt messengers of fate. 

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  • INTERNATIONAL PRINTING MUSEUM FAIR

    October 10-11, 2025
    INTERNATIONAL PRINTING MUSEUM
    315 West Torrance Boulevard,
    Carson, CA, 90745

    We’ll be showing off some of our latest and greatest letterpress creations, as well holding our First Annual Printing Nerd Workshop with Master Printer Bill Berkuta. Last year, the Museum had over 40,000 visitors - their largest crowd ever - and they’re expected to surpass that this year.

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  • THE DRUM BARRACKS 1860 TECHNOLOGY FAIR

    Saturday June 28, 2025
    11 AM-3 PM
    1052 N Banning Blvd.
    Los Angeles, CA.

    We'll be hauling our 100-year old table top press to Wilmington for their annual Civil War-era technology fair. Enzo will be decked out in Civil War attire and sporting mutton chops. Word on the street is that the place is haunted!

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