Paging the site historian …

Kevin Hughes
on 15 May 13 (14:50)

Now my press has me puzzled.

10x15 old style C+P, my wife just looked at the serial number, 704! Which makes it far too old to have come out of the plant I suspected.

Does anyone know of a source to trace back the history? At least where it went originally - I may be able to take it from there.

Thanks

Kevin

greengrasspress
on 15 May 13 (15:07)

Updated 15 May 13 (15:09)

http://www.greendolphinpress.com/letterpress-faq.html#3.04

This will show you the year it was manufactured. Not exactly what you’re looking for but maybe it’s a start.

Kevin Hughes
on 15 May 13 (15:26)

Thanks. I found the C+P serial list awhile back, and it puts this press back to before I can figure out where dad pulled it from.

I didn’t “buy” it - I’m at least the 4th generation of a printing family. At the time dad moved this beast to the house it’s in (mid 1960s) this old girl had been backing up inserts for 2 generations.

Because of the timeframe when he moved it, I’d suspect it either came out of Wilson H. Lee Co or perhaps Hildreth press, both publication letterpress plants we had a hand in back then.

Tracking back the history is probably going to be tough, but every little bit helps.

Foolproof546
on 17 May 13 (16:19)

Unlike Vandercooks, there is no record of where any serial numbered C&P presses were originally delivered. As old as this press probably is it was most likely a second or third-hand press by the time it got to the Lee Co. or Hildreth Press, if it came out of there at all. I think that the best you will ever do will be a wild-ass-guess.

Best you might do is try to find living ex-employees that “might” remember something about the press’ provinance.

Rick