Trade Category Archives - Page 14 of 23

Excelsior Press

Alan Runfeldt runs a 1930s era print shop in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, USA. As well as traditional letterpress printing Alan rescues, restores and passes on old letterpress equipment such Kelsey Excelsior Platen Presses, Chandler & Price Platen Presses and Vandercook & Challenge Proof presses. He also collects, catalogs, uses and some times passes on fonts of hand-set foundry type and wood type as well as the cases and cabinets to keep them in.

I don’t think this press is in Alan’s collection, his website says the press is in Philadelphia. I had to include the picture, though, it’s got to be the oldest litho press I’ve seen. Read the Full Article . . .

Daily Mirror, UK

Tom Bailey sent in this picture of Norman Barnes retiring from his job as “The Printer”, early 1970s.

Tom Bailey said: “To my mind the setting of type was an art form and having spent many hours setting five point type, visually letter-spacing said type for advertisements to be published in newspapers; actually cutting up cigarette papers and bus tickets to use in the spacing. Remember I was not the only one, I had to learn from somebody. Read the Full Article . . .

Yorkshire Evening Press, 125 Years

Linecasters on lorries — Linecasters are put onto lorries in October 1986 outside the Evening Press’s office in Coney Street, York. The Press’s trio of mechanics are in attendance.

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

In October 2007 the Yorkshire Evening Press, based in York in the UK, celebrated 125 years of production by delving into their archives and publishing a special souvenir supplement. Read the Full Article . . .

Wood Press, RAF Wroughton

Deep in the countryside of Wiltshire, in the UK, lies the disused World War Two Airbase RAF Wroughton. In six huge, decaying hangars named in typical military style: L1, L2, etc. lie thousands of the modern world’s greatest treasures, guarded round-the-clock by British Army veterans.

The Airbase acts as a storage facility for the Science Museum. The Museum’s public face in South Kensington can only show eight per cent of their massive collection. Read the Full Article . . .

Linotype Model 5 Restoration

HERE is a photo of the Model 5 Linotype that I am attempting to get running.

George Finn, an Australian Linotype mechanic, sent in this photograph and details of the restoration project.

This is the oldest machine I have ever worked on. Checking the serial number (22971) against shipping dates, I find that it was shipped in the first half of 1918. Read the Full Article . . .

Glidden Ad, 1936

“Stop the presses! Make over the front page!” Typewriters swing into action, Linotype machines click, compositors’ fingers fly, and cold metal quickly becomes hot news!

Type metals of “Wilkes” brand, produced solely by the Glidden-owned Metals Refining Company, are used in the make-up of typical American newspapers. They are used in printing magazines distributed to millions. Many of the printed pieces you receive … the books you read … are printed with “Wilkes” type metal, the accepted national standard of fine quality. Read the Full Article . . .

Yorkshire Evening Press, 1942

Many thanks to Ian Cottom, from York, who sent in this photograph which he bought from the Gazette and Herald newspaper in 1946!

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

Abandoned Intertype C4

I FOUND this C4 Intertype abandoned at an Historical Preservation Society in Pimpama, just 10 km (6 miles) from where I live.

I asked the Publicity Officer what he could tell me about the machine. He said it was before his time, but that they had owned a number of machines but the rest had been given away, along with all the spare parts. Read the Full Article . . .

Model F Elrod

Andy Taylor sent in these pictures of his “brand new” Model F Elrod strip-casting machine. He’s hoping to send in some video of the machine in operation in the near future. He also has a Model K.

Linotype Comet 300 TTS

Many thanks to Bill Nairn, from New Zealand, for sending in these photographs — they show a Linotype Comet 300, complete with a Fairchild operating unit attached to the linecaster’s keyboard and the perforating keyboard. The whole set-up is in full operational condition.

Says Bill: “In New Zealand, we had the opportunity to restore a Linotype Comet 300, complete with Fairchild Operating Unit (attached to the Linotype keyboard) and the perforating keyboard. Read the Full Article . . .