While looking for information on proof presses built by Harrild & Sons, better known for its iron hand presses, I asked Stephen O. Saxe, author of American Iron Hand Presses, what he knew about this British firm. In reply he scanned this page from a 1906 Harrild catalog, shown at left. This press features a [...]

Terry Chouinard sent me this advertisement he saw in the BBS Specimen Book (No. 25) for a “Vandercook Gordon Press Vibrator.” He asked if Vandercook made any other equipment for production presses? Good question. After all, their presses were marketed as pre-press equipment. But nothing in the catalogs I’ve seen references anything like the Gordon [...]

I found this advertisement and saw the row of Vandercooks, they look like 32-28’s.

Here is a nice illustration of a No. 4 Vandercook, with a split vibrator and riders, featured in a two page ad for ink manufacturer Interchemical Corporation. (The Inland Printer, September 1953, p.24-25, from the library of Fritz Klinke). Is anyone familar with the pen-stick ink applicator shown?

Advertised in The Inland Printer (September 1953, p.119; it does not appear in previous or subsequent issues). This press features a reciprocating bed and a belt-driven oscillating roller, but does not appear to have an ink reservoir drum. It may not have been put into production. Has anyone seen one of these? The manufacturer was [...]

This ad from The Inland Printer (October 1918, courtesy of John Horn) shows a Vandercook model 17 Composing Room Cylinder press and a Roller Series press. Note that the company, founded in 1909, is still called Vandercook Press. It was incorporated as Vandercook & Sons later that same year. The street address is for the [...]