Revised. Author and printing historian Stephen O. Saxe sent me this advertisement he found in the June 1890 (and following) issues of The Printers’ Album, the house publication of Schniedewend & Lee, a printing equipment manufacturer in Chicago.* Vandercook & Company was operated by H.R. Vandercook and F.N. Tucker, circa 1880-1910. It was a separate business from […]
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Rare No. 119 Proving Machine
Recently, I toured Thornwillow Press in Newburgh, New York where amongst the numerous letterpress equipment on premises is a 1927 Vandercook No. 119 Proving Machine. (The image at left is its entry in one of the early sales record books.) Currently, this press is the only known example of the model in the census.* In […]
Moredie makers
MoreLouis Flader
Today’s Vandercook operators may know that most models were designed to meet the needs of the bygone photoengraving industry. A central figure of that industry was the German-born American Louis Flader (1877-1963): technician, labor leader, executive and author. As editor of Photo-Engravers Bulletin he wrote the articles “Story of a Visit to the New Vandercook […]
MoreVandercook & Company ca. 1890
This image is for a billhead for a wood and photoengraving company partnership between H.R. Vandercook and F.N. Tucker in Chicago. H.R. Vandercook and R.O. Vandercook were first cousins. No mention of R.O. having worked there has been found in any trade journals or other documents. Below is a display ad from the […]
MoreEasyKaster honeycomb mold
Vandercook made an extensive line of prepress equipment for mounting engravings. I have a Hacker block leveler and an seeking the honeycomb mold for an EasyKaster to make Vandercook Lite-Base. Any leads would be most appreciated. [Image from the Vandercook Graphic Equipment Catalog, 1965—PM]
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