Hatch Show Print was founded as “CR and HH Hatch” by brothers Charles and Herbert Hatch in 1879 – six years before Tom Ryman would attend a tent revival that would change his life. Their first print job was a handbill announcing the appearance of Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, brother of famed abolitionist and Uncle Tom’s Cabin author, Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Business quickly started to pour in after that first print job. The brothers’ creations began popping up on sides of buildings downtown and on barns around the South. Hatch Show Print posters advertised circuses, sporting events, operas and just as the small print shop began to hit its stride, an up-and-coming radio show called the Grand Ole Opry® hit the airwaves.
“Advertising without posters is like fishing without worms.”
The Hatch Brothers
The Hatch Show Print style is closely associated with the Ryman because our shared history runs deep. Hatch creates uniquely designed posters for nearly every event held on our historic stage. These limited edition Hatch prints sell out quickly and rarely are reproduced, making them instant collector’s items. Each print is a work of art created using the same letterpress technique today as the Hatch brothers used back in 1879. The hand-carved blocks that form Hatch posters are laid out in reverse on plates, inked and run through antique letterpress machines by hand.
Posters from the Ryman archives that have been autographed by the performers who’ve played the Ryman are on display in the Hatch Show Print Gallery on the second floor of the auditorium.
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