J.G.A. Eickhoff, founded in 1848 in Copenhagen, Denmark, manufactured printing and bookbinding equipment. In 1929, they introduced a proof press with a stationary carriage and a reciprocating press bed in two sizes.
Danish printer Jens Jørgen Hansen has a cache of spare parts and has helped Eickhoff owners worldwide for many years. He says the company used the “Rapid” series name throughout the production run for the old style “swan neck”1 presses, the 1954 version2 as well for the last 1964 version. He notes that the special models were and are rare.
| Model | Year | Rollers Diameter | Paper Size | Bed Size | Floor Space | Wt. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1BS | 1929 | 41 × 62 cm | 42 × 64 cm | 195 × 90 cm | ≈ 420 kg | |
| 2BS | 53 × 72 cm | 54 × 74 cm | 225 × 101 cm | ≈ 520 kg | ||
| 1BS | 1954 | 60 mm | 41 × 62 cm | 42 × 64 cm | 209 × 89 cm | 420 kg |
| 2BS | 60 mm | 53 × 72 cm | 54 × 74 cm | 237 × 100 cm | 520 kg |
Dutch printer Thomas Gravemaker reports that:
… the Amsterdam Typefoundry—after having sent sales representatives to the U.S. in 1946—stressed the importance of pre-press in a special issue of their quarterly magazine and soon after started importing the Eickhoff presses.
1. Hansen says that the “swan neck” presses were a modified version of one made by Brdr. Simonsgaard advertised in De Grafiske Fag, 1924. “My undocumented theory is that Eickhoff acquired/took over the production of the presses from Brdr. [Brothers] Simonsgaard in 1929 and quickly improved the press to match the modern needs for strong and precise proof presses on the Danish and European market.” The design may have been inspired by the American Potter press. BS probably stands for Brdr. Simonsgaard.
2. The redesigned presseses featured a cabinet for tools, paper, ink, etc.
Eickhoff Album on Jens Jørgen Hansen’s Flickr
drukwerkindemarge.org for Eickhoff documents.