Mystery Photos

[Cowpietu]

Hello folks,

I just signed up and noticed the mystery photos in Photo Setion 1 from Leland Whitson. The photo of the boys printing on row of C & P press is in my inventory as well. It is believed to be a photo of a trade school on the Crow Indian Reservation at Crow Agency, Montana USA. This is a fairly common photo appearing frequently accross Montana from Miles City to Missoula and into Sheridan, Wyoming and Belle Fousch, South Dakota.

In addition to the trade school aspect of the facility they did some trade work to provide training projects for the youngsters and provide the tribal government and local rural communities with printing services. I believe it (the printing trades school) has been long closed.

There is, or was, a trade school on the Reservation at Browning, MT, on the "high-line" as well. Some years ago they gathered in several Linotypes, hand type, presses and etc to set up a facility to personalize and print logos on pencils, pens and etc. I stopped by maybe 15 yrs ago and helped with a Lino, but do not recall much contact since. Our last NW MT linecaster mechanic dies some 5 yrs ago. He worked on my machines until just before his death. I have one operating 1923 model 14 and a hulk for parts. I use it maybe once a year to set projects for the museum at Libby, Montana where I am a docent, boar member, past president and  resident printer. Larry Pleasant of Delores, Colorado fame helps me keep it tuned up and ready to go when the lights go out and we start up a letterpress newspaper. My don, Mitch is learning to ooperate the beast and a local fella I roped into working at the museum is taking training when we (rarely) fire up the beast, so it may yet out live me.

Being long in the tooth, I figured I might end up the last Montana linecaster, but do know that a young feller, Michael Seitz, in Missoula has laid in a prodigeous hoard of tired iron and dead lead.  Whoed a thunk it?  ~;o0)

Okay, where's the spell check thing?

W/best regards, J. Mike

This is a very interesting and useful site!

[Dave Hughes]

Hi Mike, thanks for shedding some light on the mystery photos, and welcome to Metal Type!

Glad you're finding the site interesting.

I'm always looking for new stuff to put on the site, I'm sure people would be interested to have a look at your Model 14 if you've got pics.

Is it similar to this one: