Identification of press

Hi Ink Spot,

The chase appears to be set in the press in the first photo, so you might want to go back to the owner and pull out the chase and measure the inside dimensions.

Given the shape of the frame, and the fact that the lever is a shovel handle and positioned at the front of the press rather than the back of the press, it looks like an early Victor. I’m attaching a picture of a much later Victor (1959) that shows several similarities.

Regards,

Alan

victor-ad.jpg

Thank you Alan,
You are correct, there is a chase. I had to really study the picture. When I spoke to the owner, he said that there was an 8 x 10….but what!
The one item that I have noticed is that Kelsey has their name on their presses. This press does not. There are similarities and differences. The quest continues.

I can’t tell you exactly what type of press it is…. but I can say with some certainty that it’s not a Kelsey Victor. I’ve got Kelsey Catalogs and adverts going back to the very beginning of Kelsey, and this one is not shown in any of them.

Winking Cat Press,

Thanks for your reply. I would agree with you statement.
Wondering if maybe it is a “copy” of a press from a land far far away! It appears to be: 1 yes and 1 no for Kelsey!
The quest continues still.

Ink Spot -

Here’s another “no” for Kelsey. agree with Winking Cat. This press has a Cook’s Victor style ink roller assembly (also used briefly by Kelsey on the 6x10), a chase bed vaguely similar to Kelseys, but bolted firmly to the body, unlike Kelsey’s removeable bed, an ink table drive that looks like neither Kelsey’s nor Victor’s, a chase latch slightly like the Victor’s, and a side-lever which appears to be nearly identical to that used on my later-model Excelsior Victor.

This one’s a hybrid and I’ve never seen one just like it - and I, too have been collecting and studying table top presses for years.

Yup. I’m stumped. I can’t say what it is, but I can say that it is neither a Kelsey nor a Victor, although I can see how it’s design was influenced by both.

- Alan

It looks like an old European press probably from the 20’s. It has the hallmarks of an Adana…large bed, adjustments not on the bed but from behind, the curved back of the press. It also looks like there is a broken part on the press on the side photo.

This is a press named the “Master”. Built in 1934 by the Brooklyn Printers Exchange. Chase size 6x9, shovel handle and impressions screws on the back of the bed.

Thank you for the information regarding the press.