World-wide Census of Columbian hand presses

I installed one today, rescued from being a basket case. Installed at Maidenbridge Gallery, Bentham. N. Yorks UK. Press is 19 x 15 by Fredk Ullmer. Dated 1862 no. 877.
I know of a lot more.
Jeremy;

My late Father had 5 or more Columbians at the now defunct Printing House Museum in Cockermouth, UK. These were by Clymer and Dixon, Edward Bevan, Miller and Richard, etc. I will endeavour to get more details as they now reside (after surviving a flood) in Belgium. I am visiting the owner of this collection next week and can get more info on these and all his other Columbian presses. There is a large Columbian at Manchester Metropolitan University which I moved last December and a smaller one at Hot Bed Press in Salford, Greater Manchester which we also moved. A huge press at Glasgow Print Studio by Long of Edinburgh. You may need to contact direct to get details of age and size as I dont have that information. I have moved so many presses over the years I have lost count! Jeremy (again)

Jeremy, Thank you very much for that info. I will try to follow up what I can and I would be grateful for whatever additional details you can supply. Feel free to email me through Briar Press. I know of the press at the Glasgow Art School — is that the same one? Sorry to hear that the Cockermouth museum is defunct. Are those presses in Patrick Goossens collection? Thanks again!

Bob

Here some information’s about a Danish Columbian press manufactured by Otto Bock, Copenhagen 1837.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bogtrykkeren/2845653693/in/set-721576063932...
Gott grüß die Kunst
Jens

sent you a mail with info

Thank you! All information about Columbians anywhere is gratefully received!

Bob

Hi Bob,
Yes they went to Patrick, he is a good friend of mine. I will endeavour to follow up with some more info.
J.

New member here. My father was a printer - Letter Pressman for almost 40 years. I love the craft and am always on the look out for things related to it.

Today I found a plate for this press that holds type and is actually full of old wood type set up as a wall decoration.

If anyone’s interested I will post a picture of it. I would like to verify the press it fits.

Thank you,

David

Bob, We have what appears to be a Clymer & Dixon no. 131. We can barely make out the manufactured date but it looks like 1830. We would like to find out more about this press and possibly even restore it. It is mostly complete with only the small counter weight missing. How can we find out more about this press?

Steve,
Post a picture. Finding more out about your actual press may be difficult unless you have its provenance.
Quite a few Columbians left UK for the US in the 60s and 70s when their true need was no longer.
Whereabouts is it? Do you know its former owners, some presses once they left commercial print could have been through several sets of private hands and its history dissolves into thin air.
Jeremy.

For some reason I am not able to post a picture.
As we are just starting to dig into this press I don’t know much yet. But we will keep digging. Current location of this press is in Bronx, NY. Just relocated from Princton, NJ.

Sir,
I am from india and has 2 nos of fully restored columbian press. If interested I will sent you the photographs,
regards
Tommy

The father of the sisters who run Quyle Kilns in Murphys, California, was a letterpress man. On their website they mention having a 1825 Columbian.

www.quylekilns.com

I tried checking to see if the census already reported that one, but the census seems lacking on specific owner info.

I have a Columbian Press here in my studio in Melbourne, Australia. Manufactured by
James Cox, 1 Wenlock Rd, City Rd, London.
I am unable to see a date or number but the wooden bar handle is charred beneath (from the candle illumination?) and is worn down where the thumb on the printer’s right hand would be placed when taking an impression. It’s had a full working life but still prints well. The dark green paint is flaking but has no other colour beneath so perhaps this is its original paintwork. Anyone else have a James Cox?boldface.fineart on Instagram.

I’m researching a Columbian Press made by Harrild & Sons and trying to find out details. The press is part of the Fremantle Prison Museum, (now a world heritage site) here in Western Australia.
There is no serial number and the castings are very plain - ie no decorative material at all. Been in touch with Bob Oldham who has been most helpful but we’re so far, unable to date this press. His inventory on the AEPM site has been most useful however I’d like to have contact details if anyone knows the contact points of the Harrild presses listed.
It’s a little unusual in that the draw bar does not have a bend in it and goes straight into the side of the block. I’ve attached a few photos and would like opinions on when the press may have been made. If anyone has or knows of this type of Columbian Press by Harrild, please let me know so I can follow up.

Columbian Press with straight draw bar.jpg

Handle 1.jpg

Columbian Press complete with eagle back to front.png

Geoff, I just spent about 15 minutes comparing the photo you had sent me before of the Fremantle Columbian with a photo of a somewhat larger Hopkinson &Cope Improved Columbian (which they labelled with raised letters cast on the great lever with their name and “Improved Colombian” (their spelling). Besides being different size printing capacity the two look almost identical, from details of the frame to the identical legs. I really think either Harrild & Sons made a copy of an H&C Improved Colombian or they had acquired one in trade-in or somehow and ground off the Hopkinson & Cope information on the great lever, and then unable to replace it with raised cast letters they just made and attached that brass plate. The different bar is the only significant difference other than size, and the presses could both be worked with a straight bar. I have several other H&C Improved Colombians recorded and their photos all show the same features as the Fremantle press except the H&C presses have the H&C identification in raised cast letters. If this explanation is correct, that could explain the lack of a serial number, as the replacement bar was left unmarked.

Bob