Question on identification of a floor printing press

Our family has had this letter press for many years and we had some questions about it. The identifying mark is the star as pictured below and it says The Press co. I was hoping that someone would have some information about it? Any info. would be appreciated. It is at least 100 years old, is an offset, floor letter press. It works very well. My Father was a printer and used it for 40+ years. Thanks so much.

image: press star (638x426).jpg

press star (638x426).jpg

image: whole press.jpg

whole press.jpg

image: press sideview showing half.jpg

press sideview showing half.jpg

Log in to reply   12 replies so far

If that emblem says Meridian Connecticut, I would would be willing to wager it is a Kelsey Star press. It seems to have a Golding “look” about it, but I’d say it’s a Kelsey. Wiser minds will be along soon.

If that emblem says Meridian Connecticut, I would would be willing to wager it is a Kelsey Star press. It seems to have a Golding “look” about it, but I’d say it’s a Kelsey. Wiser minds will be along soon.

If that emblem says Meridian Connecticut, I would would be willing to wager it is a Kelsey Star press. It seems to have a Golding “look” about it, but I’d say it’s a Kelsey. Wiser minds will be along soon.

^%$^#%@$#@$ Computers………….

If the moderators wants to scuttle a couple of my duplicates, please do. My apologies to the list.
[

Libby - It looks like the early 20th century Kelsey Star model.

Mike- that’s Meridan, Connecticut. $&#(*&@ computers can’t spell either. ;-)

- Others?

Denis

Neither &%#@$^*+ computer nor Denis can spell Meriden correctly. The Kelsey Co., successor to the Press Co., in Meriden, Connecticut, made the Star Jobber (7x11) which sold for $150.00 in 1924. Weight boxed 500 lbs. This is a platen jobber, not an offset press, and not a floor letter press; other small presses were known as tabletops or hand presses. The press shown in the photos has a v-belt to an electric motor but the press does not show a throw-off, which was a later addition to the Star, but was standard on Kelsey’s 10x14 Union Rotary job Press, and the 9x12.5 King Job Press. Many old-time printer’s fingers were caught and squashed in presses without throw-offs. Ouch, the memories!!!

The Kelsey catalogue (1902?) advertised about their $60 Star Rotary Job Press: “No throw-off needed as press is well balanced to control by hand.” A curious recommendation, given the hazards of platen jobbers in general (I speak from painful experience).

Stanislaus - I stand corrected on the spelling of Meriden. I am usually a pretty good speller, just a bad tpyist. And I used to get to Meriden rather often when I worked in Hartford. How embarrassing….

To Denis, Milke From Montana, and others: To err is human, to forgive is divine! I stand corrected quite often…in my orthopaedic shoes, of course!!

Libby - Here is a link to a picture of the Star model in an old Kelsey catalogue (many thanks to TJ Lyons).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39182740@N04/4547871201/

Stanislaus - I’ll have to try the orthopsedic shoe trick….

Best to all.

doh! …orthopaedic…

Thank you all so much for all of the information!!!!! We are reluctantly having to sell my Dad’s press and we wanted any information that would help. You all know your stuff!!!!! Take care.

Yup. That’s a Star, alright.

The only press I know that looks like it’s leaning into the operator.

Might be pre-Kelsey, though. Hard to tell. But I think this one is

There were more than one model of the Star. Kelsey bought rights to a number of presses - Star & Victor to name a few - sold them as they were to begin with, then found less expensive ways to build them, so the press design might have changed, but they kept the name for marketing purposes.

Later Stars had a separate base - not unlike the Pearl, but framed steel instead of cast iron.

- AR