The origins of Stories in Steel has its’ beginning in the Celtic Arts of Mother Ireland, where the McVicker Family ran a commercial letter press printing business in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Needless to say, everyone in the family had their share of work and responsibilities.
Séan was capable of hand-feeding and running colour printing presses at the tender age of 12 years. His Father had him indentured as an apprentice compositor, in typesetting by hand, and graphic design. Part of Séan’s training in the Affiliated Arts Program included commercial engraving. This involved five years of practical work in letter press and attendance at the Belfast Technical College of Art, which meant that all report cards and progress were being monitored by the Guild of National Graphical Arts of Great Britain. Séan received his Masters’ Degree and Gold Medal for Contemporary Arts. Séan became a member of the City and Guild’s of Great Britain and a registered member of the National Typographical Association.
The image of American Western Movies, Western Art and Western Engraving was too strong, so taking the advise of a very famous man, who is reported as saying: “Go West Young Man” Séan took this saying to heart and immigrated to the United States of America in 1978 to study Western Style Engraving and establish his engraving business, and so was born “Stories in Steel”.
Stories In Steel is tailored to be personal, professional and based on a one-of-a-kind design approach. Whether the style of engraving is Banknote, English, Western or Nimschke, organizations such as the Texas Rangers (Texas DPS), the Former Texas Ranger Foundation, Texas Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) and TSCRA Special Rangers, The Eiteljorg Museum, The Gene Autry Museum, the U.S. Marine Corps, and NRA (National Rifle Association), to mention a few, are venues that respect Séan’s talents as being true to the many generations that came before him.
The land from whence he came to stay,
oh Lord so very far away.
As though his life had just begun,
so strong the will to carve the gun.
But years of learning came and passed,
and then one day it came at last.
A gun was born to touch and feel,
a legend born “Stories in Steel”.