Spring Cleaning 2016

Vanderblog is undergoing a server upgrade. The technical issues are being sorted out. Although the old theme (layout) is no longer supported, rest assured that posts and comments have not been affected and remain searchable. This structural upgrade gives the administrator, yours truly, the opportunity to add functions to better serve the proof press community. I welcome your comments.

MoreMore Tag

Proof Presses in the Wild

The Vandercook census has reached a milestone. There are now 2,000 Vandercook flatbed cylinder proof press still existing worldwide. That’s just 6.6% of the 30,000 presses the company manufactured between 1909 and 1976. To my chagrin, 12% of entries have incomplete data. A few more press that have not been included at their owners request. There are also 73 showcard style office […]

MoreMore Tag

Ferdinand Wesel

Ferdinand Wesel (1846-1912) was the founder of the F. Wesel Manufacturing Company, which among other equipment, made some of the first flatbed cylinder proof presses. Born in Frankfurt A.M., he learned the printing-machinery trade, as The Inland Printer once put it, “in the thorough manner characteristic of his countrymen.” In 1866, he emigrated to New York and […]

MoreMore Tag

Origin of the modern proof press reconsidered, Part II

In a 2010 post, I examined Vandercook’s claim to be “the originators of the modern proof press.” In it I discussed presses shown in a 1906 catalog issued by the British manufacturer Harrild & Sons (courtesy of Steven O. Saxe). In the comments, Eric Holub shared images from a 1904 catalog for Soldan’s, another British firm. Here’s another contender thanks again to Steve Saxe, with whom […]

MoreMore Tag

Posts navigation

1 2 3 4 5 6 13 14 15
Copyright © 2023 vandercookpress.infoTheme by SiteOrigin
Scroll to top