William A. Kelsey began making inexpensive presses for amateurs in 1872, and his Excelsior became the longest-lasting press on the market. For more information, see the Excelsior Model P page. One of the earliest Kelsey Excelsior presses, the Model No. 2 1/2 is a hand-inking press like the Excelsior Trunnion. The Model No. 2 1/2 Excelsior bears a patent date of 1873; by 1893 it had been discontinued. This particular press was in the collection of the Mahopac Farm Museum in Mahopac, New York until October 1997, at which time the entire contents of the Museum’s unique collection of historic and collectible items was put to auction by its owner, Bernard Zipkin. The press is missing the gripper bar and grippers.
The Damon & Peets Company of New York sold several presses in the late 1800s and early 1900s. An 8×12 press similar to this one is pictured in a 1904 D&P catalog, which claims the press is capable of completing a run of 2000 sheets per hour. The press takes its design from the Gordon Franklin, the most influential jobbing press of the nineteenth century. The D&P has three rollers and a dwell, or pause, on the impression to give the paper sufficient time to absorb the ink and give a clearer impression. The press differs from the Franklin in one significant feature: the D&P has a much shorter throw-off than most jobbers. Also, the throw-off works in the opposite direction from those of most other presses. The press was also made in chase sizes of 9×13 and 10×15 inches. Pictured is the Briar Press workhorse, which has been retrofitted with an electric motor.
The D&P 6×10, or “Favorite,” was sold by Damon & Peets Company, a printing equipment concern of New York, between 1887 and 1894 Simple clamshell jobbers like this one–on which platen and bed were hinged below their lower edges to close on each other in clamshell fashion–were distributed by dealers, often with no name at all or with a name customized for the distributor. The name “Favorite” was used on many pieces of equipment made and/or sold by the Damon & Peets Company. Some of these machines were similar to those made by other companies. For instance, D&P’s Favorite Junior Lever Press is similar to the C&P Pilot, their Favorite Gem Lever Paper Cutter (see Paper Cutter, Gem) is similar to the Peerless paper cutter, and the Favorite Damon & Peets Proof Press is similar to the Galley Proof Press made by Chandler & Price.
The Daisy was probably made by Ives, Blackeslee of New York (later Ives Blackeslee Williams). The company dealt in novelties and was the principal distributing–and perhaps manufacturing–company for rail presses at the end of the nineteenth century. Their line included the Boss, Favorite, Daisy, Leader, and other very similar rail presses. These tiny presses were usually sold in kits with ink, roller, tweezers, cards and bronze dust included. (Bronze dust was mixed with ink to give it a metallic look.) The Daisy pictured is missing its chase, which would be held in place by two protruding screws, visible in the photo.
Mini Copy Press
This 19th-century miniature black iron, screw-type copy press is only 3 1/2 inches high, 4 inches long, and 2 1/2 inches wide. Like its larger cousin (see Copy Press 1), this one is not a letterpress, but was often found in print shops.
For details about how a copy press works, see Copy Press 1.
For details about how a copy press works, see Copy Press 1.
For details about how a copy press works, see Copy Press 1.
For details about how a copy press works, see Copy Press 1.
While the copy press is not a letterpress, it is an important part of any well-outfitted print shop. Copy presses (also known as book or nipping presses) were traditionally used as primitive copying machines; modern-day uses include pressing water out of handmade paper and drying flowers. How did a copy press make copies? An original letter, freshly written but dry, was placed between slightly moist sheets of very thin paper (which was thinner even than onion-skin paper). When these pages were pressed together, the moist paper would pick up some of the ink from the original document. The writing was reversed on the copy and, like the original, would be slightly blotted, but could be read from the back of the thin sheet. This process, common in the middle of the nineteenth century and well into the twentieth, was patented by James Watt in London in 1780. The original red, black, and gold painted detailing on this press is mint condition, and the press bears the gold inscription of the patent date: June 13, 1865.
