As a result of publicizing the gains of the Vandercook census, owners of other brands of cylinder proof presses have volunteered their data and have also alerted me to the existence of additional owners. In particular the “Asbern”:https://vandercookpress.info/vanderblog/asbern/ and “Challenge”:https://vandercookpress.info/vanderblog/challenge/ censuses have begun to take shape.
MoreMore TagAuthor: Paul Moxon, Moderator
A thousand Vandercooks!
The Vandercook Census has reached a milestone: “1011”:https://vandercookpress.info/vanderblog/census/ presses are known to still exist worldwide. Are there another thousand out there? Is your press represented? How many “Asberns”:https://vandercookpress.info/vanderblog/asbern/, “Challenges”:https://vandercookpress.info/vanderblog/challenge/ et al. ? The globe graphic, one of three similar designs, is from a Universal I operator’s manual dating from the late 1950s.
MoreMore TagThe young Vandercook sons
From left: Fred, Ed, and Dave Vandercook standing next to a lathe, circa 1918. This may be the W. Austin Avenue plant (Nos. 1716-1722). This photo, perhaps taken by R.O. Vandercook, is provided courtesy of Bill and Lynn (Vandercook) Critchlow.
MoreMore TagStanley Metza
Not long ago I interviewed Stanley A. Metza, West coast regional sales manager for Vandercook from 1960 to 1975. Now 94 years old, he spoke of heading a four-man sales team selling Vandercook products from the 30-26 four-color proof press to the SP15 which he deemed “a pup.” The son of Polish immigrants, the […]
MoreMore TagHappy Birthday!
Today marks one year of Vanderblogging. Thank you to all registered users, we now number 147. Together we have generated 114 posts and 495 comments that have been viewed over 33,984 times. These figures are nearly double those reported six months ago. This is a vibrant forum that will continue to grow. New pages and […]
MoreMore TagBill Critchlow
Today I spoke by telephone with former Vandercook and Sons employee Bill Critchlow who worked for there from 1961 to 1971. While a student at the University of Arizona, Mr. Critchlow met his future wife Lynn, daughter of company president E.O. Vandercook. After marrying, he attended dental school at the University of Pittsburgh. Afterward he […]
MoreMore TagMore V&S Employee photos
I’ve posted six additional “photos”:https://vandercookpress.info/vanderblog/employee/photos/ of Vandercook & Sons employee gatherings. Once you view them you will agree that Lowenbrau was the offical company beer.
MoreMore TagNew PDFs Available
I have posted several new PDFs of Vandercook brochures and catalogs on the “Bibliography”:https://vandercookpress.info/bib.html page. Also posted is a reprint of an interesting talk given in 1954 by Vandercook marketing manager O.F. Duensing entitled “Minimum Makeready Through Form Preparation“:https://vandercookpress.info/downloads/articles/duensingMM.pdf.
MoreMore TagOil: SAE 20 and variants
I received an email from a gentleman who recently acquired a Universal I and is having difficulty finding an SAE 20 wt oil, the grade specified in most operator manuals. Like many printers, I first used 3-in-One oil. Some Vandercooks like, Daniel Morris’s 320, even have a plaque on the carriage reading “Use 3-in-One Oil” […]
MoreMore TagSP15 hand gripper lever
Last week I was in New York to teach workshops at the “Center for Book Arts”:http://centerforbookarts.org/, and also visited a couple of printshops including Daniel Morris’s “The Arm Letterpress”:http://www.thearmnyc.com/information/letterpress in Brooklyn. Some readers may know that has several Vandercooks including this rather unusual SP15 that has a hand lever mechanism to raise the paper grippers […]
MoreMore TagAsbern for sale in Germany
ADR.1, N° 7927, built 1966. The owner, artist “Thomas H. Cremanns”:http://www.tcart.de, Düsseldorf, Germany is moving his studio and wants to sell the press.
MoreMore TagVandercook Employee Photographs
Just added a new page of “Vandercook employee photos”:https://vandercookpress.info/vanderblog/employee/photos/. Take a look at a few of the men who built your presses.
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