This photo was sent to me by Amanda Stevenson, Curator at the Museum of Printing History in Houston, Texas who asked me to identify the press in the background. I recognized it as a Claybourn hand proof press made in Milwaukee, Wisconsin circa 1926. There should be a nameplate on the operator’s side and the […]
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Vandercook Centenary Print Bundle
Invitation Closed–goal reached– wait list established. This is the official invitation to participate in the Vandercook Centenary Print Bundle, a limited edition exchange of letterpress prints celebrating the first one hundred years of Vandercook proof presses (1909-2009). The goal is to exchange one hundred prints between one hundred Vandercook operators. Please pledge your commitment to […]
MorePower carriage resource
Last week I was in New York and stayed with Daniel Morris at The Arm who suggested that I should visit Leeds Radio an electronics parts supplier. Leeds is a treasure trove tucked away on a side street that sells many new old stock items including the knobs and switches needed to fix power carriage […]
MoreEdward J. Nolan
Edward J. Nolan (1907-1983) was an RIT-trained engineer who founded both the Nolan Corporation, maker of Nolan proof presses, and later the United States Forge and Foundry Co., the maker of Reprex proof presses. The Nolan Corp., based in Rome, NY, made composing room and bindery equipment for the newspaper industry. They also built food […]
MoreThe trouble with blogging
I was just told by one “trailing-edge” mac user that he is experiencing a problem viewing the blog since the latest blog software update (WordPress 2.5.1). My apologies to any and all readers in his position. However, I must to continue to keep pace with WP releases in order to stay ahead of comment spam […]
MoreHousekeeping
Dear members and guests: please note that I sometimes edit post titles and topic categories to more accurately reflect content and to improve the relevance of archive searches. Also, please continue to send me data for the various press censuses: Vandercooks, Asbern, Challenge, Reprex, etc. Model name Serial number (and year, e.g. Asbern) Owner (Press […]
MoreSerial number location on early models
This post is in response to a query on Letpress: Vandercook first issued serial numbers on presses in 1914. Until about 1925 they were located directly on the press bed at the right end midway between the lock up pins. It may be hidden by a removable bed plate and/or rust and oxided ink. This […]
MoreWork station
John Horn sent me this photo of his innovative rolling Vandercook work station. John says, “It’s two feet deep and four feet wide. It’s a prototype so it is pretty crude. I love having the furniture cabinet close at hand. I park this work station right behind the operator so that he or she can […]
MoreUniversal III carriage conversion
Chris Manson, proprietor of Crooked Crow Press, in Rockville, Maryland has converted his Universal III Power Vandercook to a hand-cranked press. He had a retired machinist make a collar extension to fit onto the bearing stub on the impression cylinder (photo 3). Onto this new bearing stub Chris attached a crank from a large Poco […]
More232P restoration and conversion project
Wesleyan University Art Professor David Schorr and Studio Tech Kate Ten Eyck have acquired a Vandercook 232P for the Printmaking studio. Kate sent me this photo of the press as it looked in November. Their objective is to convert this power carriage press into a hand-cranked one. The 232 is a big press: maximum form: […]
More“SRL” proof press
Marty Veerde, Chair of Printmaking at the Quay School of Fine Arts in Whanganui, New Zealand sent me these photos of a Vanderlook-alike with hopes that I could identify it. Unfortunately, I have no information on this make. It has only two written references on it, one on an attached plate stating “Impression On/Off” and […]
MoreR.O. Vandercook
Robert Oatman Vandercook, (1866–1951), was the founder of the pre-press equipment company that bore his name. His interest in printing began when he was ten years old. It was claimed that in high school he built his first press on which he printed the school paper.* While a student at Northwestern University (class of 1888), […]
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