The first edition of the Book of Mormon, a significant religious text for the Latter-day Saints, was printed from the third floor of E. B. Grandin's print shop in Palmyra, New York. The establishment was located on Main Street, a prominent area of the small town, and was a central hub of publishing activity. E. B. Grandin, a local printer and publisher who undertook a range of different printing projects, agreed to the task of printing 5,000 copies of the book.1
Grandin used a Smith Improved Printing Press, a specifically designed machine that his shop housed. This specialized printing press was capable of printing up to 16 pages in a single pass, thereby increasing efficiency and production speed. Once the pages were printed, they were immediately hung to dry. Drying was a crucial step as it prevented the wet ink from smearing and ensured the printed text was legible. After the drying process was completed, the pages were carefully folded to create gatherings, often referred to as 'signatures'. These gathered signatures were then dispatched to the bindery where they underwent the process of assembly, also known as binding. The binding of the book mattered as it contributed to the longevity and usability of the printed text. The overall printing process, involving various stages from setting the type to handing the bound book, required diligent attention to detail and took approximately seven months from the start before copies of the book were available for sale.2
