Alan Kitching / British Railways

18 June 2025

This summer, letterpress artist Alan Kitching returns to his hometown of Darlington with a new exhibition, British Railways, marking the 200th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway — the world’s first passenger railway to use steam locomotives.

Hosted at Darlington Library, the exhibition features a bold new series of typographic prints inspired by the golden age of British rail. With vivid colour, woodblock type, and the visual language of railway signage, Kitching’s work honours the legacy of British engineering and the region that helped drive it.

Born in Darlington in 1940, Kitching’s story began when he took on an apprenticeship as a teenager at a local print shop. That first experience sparked a lifelong devotion to type and printing. Now, more than six decades later, he returns to the place where it all began.

“This exhibition is both a tribute to the legacy of the railways, and a personal homecoming,” says Kitching. “Darlington shaped me, and I’m proud to celebrate its place in both my story and our national history.”

Alan Kitching went on to become one of the UK’s most respected typographers and printmakers. He co-founded the Experimental Printing Workshop in Watford with Anthony Froshaug, established The Typography Workshop in 1989, and has held major exhibitions internationally. His honours include being named a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI) and an elected member of Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI). He is also an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Art and Visiting Professor at the University of the Arts London.

Part of Darlington’s wider celebrations marking this historic railway bicentenary.

Alan Kitching – British Railways 26 July – 4 September 2025 Darlington Library, Crown Street, DL1 1ND Private View: Thursday 31 July, 5:00 – 7:30pm RSVP: alan@thetypographyworkshop.com by 25 July