Urban Cottage Industries

Some of you may remember an article that appeared on Metal Type last year called David Evans, A New Era, 2011. It took a look at David Evans’ move from Halifax, West Yorkshire, UK to new premises in Mytholmroyd, four miles up the road.

David, and new partner Stanley Wilson, have even managed to add to their collection of letterpress equipment since the move. I visited the new premises again in June 2012.

Visit the Urban Cottage Industries website at: http://urbancottageindustries.co.uk/ – They sell brilliant Historic Lighting, and do some clever things with letterpress.

This unrestored linecaster and
This unrestored linecaster and “operator” greet visitors at the entrance to Urban Cottage Industries.
Heidelberg windmill and Intertypes in the production area
Heidelberg windmill and Intertypes in the production area.
A closer look at the production Intertypes
A closer look at the production Intertypes.
More linecasters, mainly Intertypes, in storage
More linecasters, mainly Intertypes, in storage.
Notice the
Notice the “hinge” arrangement on top of the first elevator
A closer look at the hinged first elevator which allows display matrices to be used without using the assembly box
A closer look at the hinged first elevator which allows display matrices to be used without using the assembly box.
Storage area with Ludlow and Funditor saw
Storage area with Ludlow and Funditor saw.
Foundry type, spare parts, chases, etc. in this area
Foundry type, spare parts, chases, etc. in this area

Brussels Print Shop

Many thanks to Flickr user Robert Clerebaut for allowing these photographs of his father’s print shop in Brussels, Belgium, to be used on Metal Type

Robert said: “My father started as a typesetter in 1928. He opened his print shop in Brussels in 1937. I studied at the School Amsterdamse Grafische (1956-1960) and worked in the family print shop in Brussels. In addition, I gave over 13 years at the National School of Visual Arts of La Cambre (1993-2005). Since 1980 member of the Rencontres Internationales de Lure, and I met Francois Boltana.

Intertype machine and operator
Intertype machine and operator.
A Victoria-Front press
A Victoria-Front press.
The Victoria-Front press being dismantled, 1965
The Victoria-Front press being dismantled, 1965.
Robert's father at a press – in slippers!
Robert’s father at a press – in slippers!
Robert's father, 25 years later, at a Miehle vertical – still turning a blind eye to foot safety!
Robert’s father, 25 years later, at a Miehle vertical – still turning a blind eye to foot safety!

David Evans, A New Era, 2011

David Evans recently got in touch with me. You may remember he was featured on Metal Type way back in 2002.

His business in Halifax ran six Intertypes producing personalised gifts. To cut a long story short, David’s business has now been taken over and has moved to Mytholmroyd, 4 miles up the road.

The letterpress equipment will still be in use, now producing packaging material, etc. for home decor items.

Stanley Wilson, whose company Urban Cottage Industries, is now in partnership with David Evans, said: “David’s unique collection of analogue print equipment spent several years in a hard fought but ultimately losing battle with digital printers.

With the investment and support of Urban Cottage Industries Ltd, the collection relocated to a new semi-purpose built home in Mytholmroyd.

Far from retirement, the collection has been carefully serviced, organised, revitalised and expanded in preparation for a heavy weight relaunch in Spring 2012.

We’ll be producing a new and unique collection of printed, foiled, embossed and die cut products and making it available via a new interactive website.”

I managed to get to Halifax for one day during the three-day moving process. The presses were being moved on that day. I hope to bring you some pictures of the Intertypes being moved at a later date.

Ready to move, the old Halifax premises
Ready to move, the old Halifax premises.
Presses in the new premises at Mytholmroyd
Presses in the new premises at Mytholmroyd.
Pictured in isolation, the presses look like they are in a museum!
Pictured in isolation, the presses look like they are in a museum!

Edgecombe Printer, 1971

Many thanks to Dan Williams for sending in this article taken from a 1971 edition of the American publication “Graphical Arts Monthly.” It explores how viable a small letterpress print shop was in the early 1970s.

Edgecombe Printers

IS LETTERPRESS dead for the small printer? Edgecombe Printer in Kalamazoo, Mich, is a good example of a shop that is making a profit with letterpress in competition with offset.

When asked why he was staying in letterpress, Francis Edgecombe, owner of Edgecombe/ Printer, replied, “We feel that we have a greater opportunity with letterpress, since only a few are practicing it. We are concentrating on doing what many others have forgotten how to do. And, by continuing with letterpress, we don’t have the feeling that we are merely one litho printer competing with many others in the same field.”

Continuing, Francis said, “I prefer to stay in letterpress since I like it and believe I can do better with it. It lends itself well to a small operation such as we have, Some people believe I am a die-hard and can’t see the offset ‘wave of the future!’ but it isn’t this way.

We have shown that we can do quality work for customers, in a reasonable length of time, and at prices that are competitive with offset It all depends on the kind of job. We do well with certain jobs, and our offset friends do well with others. There is a field for both processes, We have seen jobs done offset that we felt would have fit letterpress better, and the reverse is also true. We sometimes refer customers to an offset shop when we feel that a particular job should be done that way.”

Edgecombe declared that he could in many cases be competitive with offset, or even lower in cost, providing that all of the preparatory costs are included in the offset price. He mentioned that some offset shops give a lower quote on “camera-ready” Copy, and the customer finds out later that certain preparatory costs must be added to obtain the total cost of the job.

Francis Edgecombe
Francis Edgecombe, owner of Edgecombe/ Printer, operating his rebuilt Model 9 Linotype

The two Linotypes at Edgecombe/Printer are good examples of the fine craftsmanship of Francis Edgecombe.

Both are Model 9 machines with which he has been familiar since the 1920s. The original base on the older of the two dates from 1919, but the face plate, distributor, and magazine frame are from the 1930s.

Francis updated the machine with these things, and declares that it still produces perfect slugs. He points out that the secret to this is good maintenance – and, of course, he takes care of this himself.

The other Linotype is one of the last of the Model 9s to be manufactured by Linotype.

The plant sets all of the type for jobs printed, either handset or Linotype. It also sells some to outsiders. “I can recall,” said Francis, “when I was learning to use foundry type in high school, that the ‘experts’ predicted we were wasting our time, since it would be obsolete in 10, 15, or X years, and be replaced entirely by hot metal. Now many commercial printers deplore the use of handset type in schools, since they say that the photocomp machines are going to take over the industry and revolutionize it.

This sounds like a repeat of the old record, with slightly different wording, doesn’t it? As a matter of fact, handset type is still here and will be as long as the finest work can be done with it.

The hand composition area contains about 325 cases of foundry type
The hand composition area contains about 325 cases of foundry type.

Argus Press, 1950s

Many thanks to Derek Cross for sending in this photograph and story.

Argus Press
Banging out at the Argus Press.

The Argus Press was situated off Fleet Street in Tudor Street. It printed a number of magazines and newspapers, including the Observer.

I was an apprentice compositor there from 1955 to 1958 (I think) when it closed down and I was transferred to another printers in the group to complete my apprenticeship. The Observer production was transferred to The Times.

The tradition was for apprentices to be “banged out” on completion of their six year apprenticeship, which meant people banging on the chases (the metal frames that held the type) to celebrate followed with drinks.

This picture shows the Father of the Chapel pouring out the drinks on the stone.

This was to celebrate Charlie Marks completing his time. Charlie is the first person on the left, but sadly his face is turned away, so it can’t be seen.

There were a number of restrictive practices in place in Fleet Street at that time, one being that although a compositor had completed their apprenticeship, they couldn’t work on a national paper until two years had passed.

The Argus Press building was recently converted into luxury flats.

Railway Press Car, 1913

The photographs on this page were taken from the collection held by the United States Library of Congress.

Railroad press car
Linotype operator photographed on a Great Northern Railway press car in July 1913, published by Bain News Service.
Fuel supply
Detail from the background of the above image (taken from just to the right of the inter-connecting door).

Various other bits of equipment can be seen on the picture – presumably there’s a press in there somewhere – some type-cases to the left of the picture.

This item puzzled me though, seems to be cylindrical and shiny, with writing on it. Anyone got any ideas?

Update: Leon Wood contacted Metal Type after this article was published with the following: “I believe the ‘shiny canister’ in the photo is part of the fuel supply for the gas-fired crucible.”

Then, Metal Type Forum Moderator George Finn, spotted another photograph of the same press car.

Said George: “Here we are looking at the back of the Linotype from the press room. Photo was taken the same day.

No cylinder? It must be behind the photographer.

Here’s the second photograph:

Press car
Second view of same press car, taken from behind the Linotype machine.

Jaggers Chiles Stovall, 1970

Thanks to Dan Williams for sending in these scans of an article from the September 1970 edition of “Graphic Southwest” describing long-established trade-typesetter Jaggers Chiles Stovall’s move to new premises.

According to Dan, John F Kennedy’s assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, worked at the company for a while. They produced some typesetting work for the US Government, giving conspiracy theorists a little fuel.

Jaggers Chiles Stovall
Outside view of the 30,000 sq. ft. plant
Linotype arrangement
New Linotype arrangement eliminates extensive “operator travel”
Fototronic Computer Typesetter
Fototronic Computer Typesetter.

According to the article: “Among the new features of the J-C-S plant is the spacious 3,000 square-foot darkroom with expandable walls to grow as J-C-S continues to grow. These facilities are handling the production of two Fototronic typesetters, one a newly-installed model 1200 which is one of the latest installations in the entire country of the Intertype tape-driven composing machines.

Jaggers Chiles Stovall
Press-proofing of hot metal forms in the new amply-lighted plant. J-C-S is experiencing a new low in personnel turnover since moving to the new facility”

Yorkshire Evening Press, 1954

There are six pages of Yorkshire Evening Press photos on Metal Type. Check the “Related Pages” menu to see the rest.

Many thanks to an ex-colleague, Ian Cottom, for sending in a scan of the front cover of “The Newsman” from October 1954.

I’ve got to say that I’d never seen this publication before. The blurb at the bottom has been cut off, but sounds intriguing: “The live journal for the progressive newsman and . . .

Stonehands
Featured on the photograph, as Ian recalls: Syd Wynn, nearest, Me (Ian Cottom), Sam Doherty (Napper), Wilf Benson, Armstrong, Bob Anley and I think Don Wilkinson (stone sub-editor).

Califorms Printing Company, 1976

Many thanks to Tony Bassano for sending in this picture of himself seated at the Intertype that he operated for 23 years.

Tony Bassano
TONY BASSANO operating an Intertype C4-1 at Califorms Printing Company, San Jose, California, USA, c1976

Says Tony: “Here is a photograph of me circa 1976 setting type on the C4-1 Intertype machine I operated for Califorms Printing Company in San Jose, California for 23 years.

It had a gas pot, pig fed, and the Intertype mechanical quadder. It was an excellent typesetting machine, and was retired in 1992.

Intertype fan? Don’t miss the Intertype Chat section of the Metal Type Forum.

Express Gifts

Chris Johnson contacted Metal Type in November 2007 saying that he was an engineer working for Express Gifts, part of Findel PLC and had been looking after 3 working Intertype Monarchs for the past 11 years. The company had recently acquired a refurbished Intertype C4 to bring the count of working linecasters up to 4! The machines are used to produce slugs of people’s names to manufacture personalised gift items.

The machines all have a Decitek Floppy Disk Drive operating a Fairchild Teletypesetting unit. Chris very kindly sent in the following photographs.

Intertype Monarchs
An overview of the 3 Intertype Monarchs.
Intertypes from rear
The row of Intertype Monarchs viewed from the rear
Intertype Monarch
Intertype Monarch with Decitek Floppy Disk Box on the right.
Fairchild TTS unit
Close-up of the Intertype Monarch keyboard and the Fairchild TTS unit.
Decitek
The Decitek Floppy Disk drive.
Intertype C4
Refurbished Intertype C4 with floppy disk drive and teletypesetting unit – the rufurbishment was carried out by Mike Kirby at Linecasting Machinery.
Intertype C4
Close-up of the Intertype C4