Within the Unesco Heritage Site of Melaka sits The Royal Press, possibly the only living polyglot letterpress museum preserved so visitors can learn about a once essential craft that touched every single household. The man behind The Royal Press in its present state is Ee Soon Wei, who is also responsible for transforming Art Printing Works in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur into the creative/retail/F&B hub known as A Place Where by APW.

Established by Ee’s grandparents in 1938, The Royal Press once thrived as a letterpress printer. Housing a working Glockner-Mercedes printing machine from 1956 as well as a letter-block library of 150,000 blocks in four language types—Roman, Chinese, Arabic and Tamil—this treasure trove is now beautifully preserved for the appreciation of future generations.

It took Ee seven long years and numerous roadblocks to finally open the museum to the public. While The Royal Press may no longer be productive as a commercial printer, it is a landmark project that only adds to the allure of Melaka as a historical city.