Printing presses -- History

Overview 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...

Overview

The Baltimore line of presses by Baumgarten & Co. were produced to exactly parallel J.F.W. Dorman's line of Baltimorean presses. These presses were small, marketed to businessmen to bypass the conventional printer, or to amateur printers and children.

Overview The Bonanza press was distributed, and likely manufactured, by Ives, Blakeslee (later Ives Blakeslee Williams). This company dealt in novelties and was the principal company for distributing rail presses at the end of the nineteenth century. Rail presses were simple cast-iron toys, sold for about one dollar. The took full-size, or later half-length, type. They were produced in large quantities and varieties between about 1880 and 1900, when they began to give way to presses made for rubber...

Overview The Bonanza press was distributed, and likely manufactured, by Ives, Blakeslee (later Ives Blakeslee Williams). This company dealt in novelties and was the principal company for distributing rail presses at the end of the nineteenth century. Rail presses were simple cast-iron toys, sold for about one dollar. The took full-size, or later half-length, type. They were produced in large quantities and varieties between about 1880 and 1900, when they began to give way to presses made for rubber...

Overview

The identification of this press is not entirely certain, but it seems to be the Centennial Press manufactured by Joseph Watson of New York in the 1870s. It also bears some resemblence to similar presses, such as the Baltimorean No. 1 or No. 2, the Official, and the Young American Press.

Overview

The Challenge Proof Press was manufactured by the Challenge Machinery Company around 1945. This company was making proof presses as early as 1893.

Overview

The Craftsmen Imperial Tabletop Press was produced around 1950 by the Craftsmen Machinery Company. This company produced presses very similar to those made during the small-press era of the 1800s. The Imperial was a tabletop model.

Overview

The Curtis & Mitchell Columbian No. 2 Tabletop Platen Press was produced between 1878 and the 1890s. The name Columbian was used for a variety of press styles, but the Curtis & Mitchell model was a jobbing platen press.

Overview The Daisy press was distributed, and likely manufactured, by Ives, Blakeslee (later Ives Blakeslee Williams). This company dealt in novelties and was the principal company for distributing rail presses at the end of the nineteenth century. Rail presses were simple cast-iron toys, sold for about one dollar. The took full-size, or later half-length, type. They were produced in large quantities and varieties between about 1880 and 1900, when they began to give way to presses made for rubber...

Overview

The Daughaday Model 1 Improved Tabletop Platen Press was manufactured around 1874. In the mid-1800s, small platen presses manufactured for the use of amateur printers gained popularity. The Model style of press went in a different direction encouraging amateurs to enter the commercial world with a larger press. The Model was available in seven size variants, four hand-operated and three treadle-operated. The no. 1 is a tabletop model.