Our Letterpresses



Chandler and Price 8x12



This is an Old Style C&P Press built in 1900. It served in a print shop in Cairo, New York, a small village nestled in the Eastern foothills of the Catskill Mountains. "Legs" Diamond, a renowned gangster of the 1920s often stayed in Cairo. I suppose it's possible that something relating to "Legs" was printed on this press. I bought it in 1970, moved it to Hudson, NY, where it stayed for 30 years. I used it to print scores of tickets, QSL Cards, business cards, a lot of things for model railroaders, stationery, envelopes and a few brochures. It stood idle for a number of years because it became easier to Desk-top-Publish using the computer. We moved to Cairo in 2008 and had the press moved to its new home. Soon, with its rollers re-cast and its treadle re-installed, it will once again do what it does best. . . print!



Kelsey Hand Press 5x8



The Kelsey Hand Press was my second press. It can put out incredible work for it's size. I ordered it from Kelsey sometime in the late 1960s and used it for several years before finding the C&P. It's limitations were speed and size of work that could be printed. Otherwise, it was, and is, a very fine press. I have had it's rollers recast and will probably use it for small jobs and just for the fun of it!



Small Hand Press 2½ x 4¼



I don't remember where this press came from. I think my dad came across it somewhere in his travels. I played around with it during high school using linotype lines set at the Newspaper to print small cards, etc. I took it to college with me and printed cards and things for my friends. There isn't any manufacturer's name anywhere on this press. It does have a removeable chase and had two rollers that have been lost. I have read that small presses like this one and the one below were used by travelling salesmen to print business and advertising cards.



Little Hand Press 2½ x 4¼



This is another small press that I've had for a long time. I don't know where it came from, it might be another of my dad's finds over the years. I have never printed anything with it. It never had an ink roller. The chase size is 3¼ x 2¼ and is part of the roller-bearers and press bed. It's held in by a single bolt, so you could use the entire thing to compose and lock up your type. Embossed on the rear of the platen is "Baltimore No. 9".







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