Category: Press and typeface identification
Later topic: Name that typeface!
Earlier topic: 84pt ECHO by Stephenson Blake ??

Help identifying platen press

Hello All,

Recently I acquired this press and I’m hoping to learn a bit more about it (or at the very least the brand!) What I do know is that it was originally the printing press for the Tillsonburg, Ontario news, and a timeline of around 1860 was mentioned but I don’t know where that date came from. I’ve looked all over it and haven’t been able to find any identifier markings.

Thanks for looking!

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Log in to reply   4 replies so far

I have never seen a press just like that but it looks like someone’s reinterpretation of the Gordon OS press, most commonly known as Chandler & Price. The only Canadian press builder I know of was Westman & Baker, and they made a Gordon-style press that looked very much like C&Ps, but perhaps earlier W&B presses were like this. Since the Gordon was patented in about 1850 this would probably have been an effort to use the idea but avoid patent infringement. You might check with Stephen Sword, who knows quite a bit about Canadian presses, or with the uncommunicative curators at the National Museum of Technology in Ottawa.

Bob

Bob is correct. Its a Westman & Baker ca. 1890-1910. We have an identical one. This is an almost direct copy of George Gordon’s “New Style” platen ca, 1860’s. If you vist our site howardironworks.org you will see photos.

Thanks for the replies! Gives me a great place to start learning a bit more about this press.

Here’s our Gordon….love the short throw on the throw off on these style presses.

http://www.libertypressia.com/PressRoom/gordon.html