IDDIS: The Norwegian Printing Museum and the Norwegian Canning Museum

The canning and printing industries are connected by the use of printed designs on cans. These two museums are operated by MUST (Museum Stavanger) and bring the subjects together in a former fish canning factory near Stavanger harbour. The canning museum opened in 1982 and the printing in 1993. Since merging they are called ‘Iddis’ after the local word for labels on cans.

In the factory, visitors follow the production processes and understand how they changed over time. Exhibitions explore Norway’s canning factories, working life and the fight for rights, international marketing and the history of Stavanger as ‘canning city’. The printing exhibitions explore the importance of writing and printing in human society and how they developed, including screen-based media. A particular focus is put on the printed image and the development of lithography for cans and labels. The second floor is set out as a traditional printing works with hand-compositing of metal type as well as typesetting machines. Printing and bookbinding are demonstrated.