8x5 kelsey model N

Girl with a kluge…

Been looking at your post for a couple of days now.
I have a model N…yet have no idea when they started making them. I do believe they predated the model U.
The model U has a much less stylish handle and probably began production in the 40’s or the 50’s.

I’d guess ‘turn o’ the century’ for a model N; up until the model U….but not sure.

Dave

Thanks Dave I figure 1910-1920. The 3x5 have a serial number for dating them, but the 8x5 doesn’t. They are fun to use and produce a good print. I wonder if the guy from Excelsior Press might know.

don’t tell me you have a 5x8 kelsey ???? keep getting pressesand you will have a museum. Alan from Excelsior Press has lots of info from the Kelsey co. call or email him, he is a great guy to talk to but don’t wait too long, he’s not getting any younger.

Are you sure there isn’t a serial number stamp at the top of the press bed?

in 1901 they had a makeover of there presses I believe that to be the first model 5x8 of this look copied from the Daughaday press, It was very heavy and you can ID it by its massive presser screws No letter and a counter clockwise turning disk.
Then in 1923 new management [Clover Snow I believe his name was] refined the presses 3x5, 5x8 and 6x10 I think this is when the letters started. N was the first run and the last with a counter clockwise turning Ink disk. Then came a O,P and U on the 5x8 each one getting slimmed down and fine tuned. They opened in 1873 coming to a slow down in 1973 to a end in the early 1990s . Of course I could be wrong on all this, there is very little documentation on this.

Nice info and related topics: http://www.excelsiorpress.org/kelsey.html