ABSTRACT
The idea of establishing a private press had been slow-maturing in John Petts's mind for some time and needed only a jolt of reality, such as he received from the grocer, to be put in motion. From its establishment in 1937, the Caseg Press was intended to support its founders. The philosophy behind the enterprise was a blend of idealism and practicality reminiscent of both William Blake and the Arts and Crafts Movement: just two people working with a shared aim, operating simple hand-powered equipment and colouring many prints by hand. Petts took a Blakeian interest in pulling his own prints and adding colour, devoting care and attention to each image. By 1940 Petts's skills as an engraver were beginning to be recognized outside North Wales. It was a difficult and lonely time for him. Although his life in Llanllechid had equipped him for farm work, the experience was gruelling.
