Scenes of historic Farnham that were printed on a rare press will go on display in a town centre shop next week before moving to the Printworks Festival at the Maltings.

The prints on display at Oxfam Books and Music from April 14 to 17 were produced by Surrey artist Marshall Barnes on a Columbian press acquired from Michael Fairclough.

Thousands of the presses were manufactured in the 19th and early 20th centuries but only around 400 remain today.

Fairclough, a renowned artist who lived in Tilford at the time, sold the print at a reduced price to Ochre Print Studio in Guildford.

Studio artist-in-residence Viola Wang is now printing the scenes which are carved into wooden blocks dating from the early to mid-20th century.

Dr Mona Craven, a printmaker from Ochre, said: “We were given the printing blocks from an unknown source and found that they depict scenes of Farnham by local artists.

“A lot of them were by the artist Marshall Barnes and they were probably used for printing postcards.”

The studio is making this a ‘living history project’ by asking visitors to Oxfam and the Printworks Festival, which starts on April 19, to say which one they like, how they know the scene depicted and what it means to them.

Dr Craven added: “Viola is using the Columbian to print six scenes to exhibit and then there will be a limited print run which will be sold in aid of both Ochre and Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice which has supported families involved in the studio.

“KD Fine Art at the Watts Gallery are framing the prints for free so that we can keep its costs to a minimum.”

Farnham Maltings and Oxfam are also providing the space free and anyone attending the print festival can have a go at printing with Ochre.