Acorn Handpress, 1825

The Acorn Handpress is believed to have been manufactured by the Cincinnati Type Foundry in 1825-1830. As Cincinnati Type Foundry was founded in the early 1820s, this Acorn press is one of their earlier pieces. Unlike other iron hand presses that sought to imitate the wooden common presses that came before them, the Acorn press is a squat press shaped somewhat like an acorn, thus the name. The acorn design most often made by Cincinnati Type Foundry was the one created by Abraham O. Stansbury in New York, who was issued a patent for the design in 1821. However, this model more closely resembles Smith presses, made by Peter Smith in New York, who also recieved his patent in 1821. Most Smith presses were made and sold by R. Hoe & Co.