Early Vandercook Manufacturing
This plaque, on a 1919 model 20 (SN 1103, owned by John Horn), begs the question: when did Vandercook & Sons begin manufacturing—-or at least assembling—-presses in-house? Fritz says that he has not come across any documents in reference to outsourcing manufacturing for this period. However, he does have information on later subcontracted production. An undated sales brochure for Composing Room Cylinders announces that the presses were built by Vandercook & Sons on West Austin Ave in Chicago. In 1928 the company built new plant on North Kilpatrick Street.
Incidentally, Reichel & Drews is still in business as RDI Group providing machinery and engineering consulting for the asphalt & bitumen roofing industries. Unfortunately, RDI has no historical records of Reichel & Drews ever having manufactured equipment for R.O. Vandercook.
Fritz sent me this ad from the May 1928 Inland Printer supporting the contention that Vandercook & Sons had its own factory as early as 1923.
June 27th, 2007 at 4:24 pm