Publications and Research
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Summer 2025
Abstract
This article examines the May 1970 occupation of Kimball Hall, a university administrative building at New York University, and specifically of its basement printshop. The group that came together in this space referred to itself as the Kimball Commune; they used university equipment and resources to print material in support of the strike and related movements, and they invited students, activists, and the general public to come into the printshop and produce material with them. I demonstrate how the Kimball Commune provides a concrete example of how a collaborative radical printing project isn’t just about creating alternative media. It also deeply impacts the people who take part: it creates new ways for individuals to participate, it builds communities that are even stronger than the sum of their parts, and it provides opportunities to creatively rethink the distribution of power.
Comments
This article was originally published in Printing History.