Help with identification
My husband inherited a very large estate….and I am the researcher. I have a letterpress type cabinet and press that I am trying to id. The cabinet has a paper tag but there is no outright manufacturer listed on it. I have pulled out all drawers to look at them and inside the cabinet to see if I could find any other info. There is none. This is the same issue with the press. There is a number on the side but nothing else. I have done many Google searches to try to gain any information on these two pieces but have not been successful. Any help you could provide would be so welcome.
http://imgur.com/kIUY1BT
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The chances are high that the type cabinet was made by Hamilton in Three Rivers Wi. or Thompson Cabinet Co also in Wi. Neither company makes cabinets anymore. Your cabinet is in very nice shape, refinished or not and is worth $400 or higher I would think. I can look it up for the specific name this evening when I am home. I have several catalogs showing equipment. I am sure you will hear from others.
-Mike
Mike,
I was given a hint of where to look for possible identification. They were right….it was stamped on the thicker wood in the drawers. It is a Hamilton!!!!!
http://imgur.com/RKwPXwq
Pretty sure it is a Thompson cabinet. (Edit, looks like I was wrong on that)
Press is a Sigwalt No. 4 I think.
The press ends up being either a #2 or #3 because of the handle it has on it. I also found that I have the composing stick too!
Your Hamilton Cabinet was a “School Type Cabinet” found in many schools teaching the printing trade. It enabled 2 students to simultaneously use the same cabinet of type. It is not usually shown in the general Hamilton Catalogs but is included in some of their printing plant and shop equipment catalogs. Above the two sloped surfaces, on the flat surface, was held an optional double sided bank of spacing material.
Sigwalt catalog:
https://archive.org/stream/SigwaltPressInstructionBookAndCatalogNo21/sig...
Thank you Butch….that is so interesting. I was wondering why the flat space at the top. I had a hunch it held something. Now I know.
Hamilton was in TWO Rivers, WI. Thompson was in Ludington, MICHIGAN.
I recently purchased a new press. The only markings I could find are on the bottom. Is anyone able to identify the maker?
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In all probability, the S1 and the WE are Foundry of Origin, cast in during manufacture. In the absence of any other discernible Mark(ings) try underneath the Ink Disc, or close inspection of the *BED* just in front of the grippers, or just at the run out end, looking for serial numbers with prefix, possibly, >Stamped In<, rather than cast in during manufacture.
One more possibility,? any evidence, at either end of the Impression cylinder of *missing* I.D. disc, occasionally glued on, at point of sale and has been known (over time) to print through and leave faint markings.!
With the foundry of origin markings, it has been possible to trace foundry of origin records. Good Luck.
The thickness of the Webs (pictured) and the General appearance of the construction and casting, overall, imply strong and stable, and capable of good work. Good purchase.!!