Trojan Press
Date
1979
History
Trojan Press was a worker's co-operative, providing printing, posters and badgemaking to groups. It was described as "one of the first co-ops set up in Hackney."
It was founded in later 1979 when some of the members of the Hackney People's Press realised the need for duplicating, printing and badge making resources to be made more available to the community. It started life in a front room in Ball's Pond Road. Founding members included Tony Wash and Chris Green. Green had previously owned a badge maker that he lent to local groups and causes.
According to the ‘Preamble of Trojan Printing Services’:
“The Co-op is intended to be an example of the society which we would like to see achieved, a society of no restrictions of race, sex, or class, with positive discrimination for those groups who have suffered discrimination in the past, this would .This positive discrimination would exist both in patterns of recruitment of workers and in pricing policy.”
After six months Trojan moved to the third floor of 85 Dalston Lane. In 1981 after acquiring an A3 press that would enable the production of posters and magazines, they moved to a larger ground floor premises at 47a Grayling Road, Stoke Newington to allow for the expected increase in work. In June 1981 the co-op had four workers.
As well as producing badges for others, the Press had its own catalogue of humorous and political badges.
In 1983 they moved to 10a Bradbury Street, before again moving to a larger premises on Downham Road in 1984 after rapid growth. The workforce was then seven workers (four women and three men).
Trojan closed c.1987. Material relating to Trojan, including an oral history with founding member Chris Green, is now held by the National Co-operative Archive. A poster advertising Trojan is also in the Chats Palace Archive.
It was founded in later 1979 when some of the members of the Hackney People's Press realised the need for duplicating, printing and badge making resources to be made more available to the community. It started life in a front room in Ball's Pond Road. Founding members included Tony Wash and Chris Green. Green had previously owned a badge maker that he lent to local groups and causes.
According to the ‘Preamble of Trojan Printing Services’:
“The Co-op is intended to be an example of the society which we would like to see achieved, a society of no restrictions of race, sex, or class, with positive discrimination for those groups who have suffered discrimination in the past, this would .This positive discrimination would exist both in patterns of recruitment of workers and in pricing policy.”
After six months Trojan moved to the third floor of 85 Dalston Lane. In 1981 after acquiring an A3 press that would enable the production of posters and magazines, they moved to a larger ground floor premises at 47a Grayling Road, Stoke Newington to allow for the expected increase in work. In June 1981 the co-op had four workers.
As well as producing badges for others, the Press had its own catalogue of humorous and political badges.
In 1983 they moved to 10a Bradbury Street, before again moving to a larger premises on Downham Road in 1984 after rapid growth. The workforce was then seven workers (four women and three men).
Trojan closed c.1987. Material relating to Trojan, including an oral history with founding member Chris Green, is now held by the National Co-operative Archive. A poster advertising Trojan is also in the Chats Palace Archive.
