Does Anyone Know Stewart Press Manufacturers in Montreal?
Hi
I have been gifted with a marvelous 8 x 12 press. It has a brass plate, photo attached, that says it was made in Montreal by Stewart. Does anyone have any information about these folks?
I am having a grand time with the clean-up of this press. Very little rust, lots of grime. Using mineral spirits and it is working well. Tomorrow we remove a few more parts and strong like bull young men are coming to put it into my basement studio!
We had already removed carefully the feed tables, platen, ink disk, flywheel, etc. before the move from Ottawa here.
Thanks for whatever information you may have on the maker!
Nancy
Ducks In A Row Press
Deep River, ON
Stewart 8x12 press .JPG
Stewart Name Plate.JPG
Here are some additional images of the press…
Stewart Press 3.JPG
Stewart Press 2.JPG
Everything you ever wanted to know about Mr. George M. Stewart (including a 1915 photo of him) is here…
http://www.vieux.montreal.qc.ca/inventaire/fiches/fiche_pers.php?id=209
but it’s all in French. As was common in those days the seller/dealer often attached a nameplate to the press, type cabinet or whatever.
Mr. Stewart was the proprietor of an establishment selling printing equipment and materials of American and British manufacture.
The press you have has a similarity to one of many styles manufactured by the Jones Mfg. Co., or the Globe Mfg. Co. of Palmira, N.Y.
The lettering cast in the roller arm (just above Stewart’s nameplate), or as usually is done, the manufacturer’s name cast in the nameplate casting (the bar that holds the two roller arms together at the back of the press) might give us a better idea of the origin of this press.
An addendum to my previous post…
Johnson-Peerless Works, Globe Mfg. Co., J. M. Jones, John M. Jones Co., Jones-Gordon Press Works, and Peerless Printing Press Co. all sold presses made in Palmyra, NY. Quite a history of John M. Jones and his presses is in Elizabeth Harris’ “Personal Impressions” . Many of these presses were made concurrently with only a change of the name on the nameplate (holds the two roller arms together at the back of the press). Most of Jones’ presses were serially numbered on the top edge of the bed.
Some of these presses print on throwoff and throwoff on print. Patent issues? We don’t know! The high rate of alcoholism among early printers could be attributed to this.
The wording on that arm, also on the nameplate, should solve our mystery.
Westman & Baker of Canada also made a Gordon press, possibly under license from Gordon or C&P, and it is very likely this is one of theirs. I don’t know if they put their name on the roller arm crossbar or elsewhere. If Stephen Sword (Stiff’n’Sore Press) is on here he would probably know.
Bob
Thank you everyone. We took the press apart today for moving to the studio, and low and behold, it has a “CHALLENGE GORDON” plate on the back of the roller carriage that we somehow missed in the dark of loading her onto the truck.
I am especially thankful for the information on Stewart from Stanislaus Pekala!!! I plan to print and frame a few of these photos. The young lads (strong like bull) are to be here tonight to put it in place in the basement. My loving husband spent 45 minutes with me taking it apart. Amazingly logical machine. Can’t wait to get it up and running!
Peace,
Nancy
Nancypress.JPG
Challenge Gordon nameplate.JPG