help with any info

chartres3001
on 29 Sep 18 (13:23)

Rescued this big boy from an old building in New Orleans.
Missing a lot of parts but I have the platen, bed, and the toggle lever/wedge. any advice or info with regards to age would be great.

IMG_20180929_123721817.jpg

IMG_20180929_123727352.jpg

AdLibPress
on 29 Sep 18 (21:01)

Updated 29 Sep 18 (21:03)

That is a VERY early one. I believe that frame, or “staple”, was cast from the wood pattern Hoe obtained from the inventor, Samuel Rust, about 1835, so it would probably be about then. In fact Rust’s sole surviving similar press has an ID plate of the same shape and location. Well worth preserving in any condition. Sounds like the only major missing piece is the bed rails.

Bob

Butch Baranowski
on 29 Sep 18 (21:53)

Quite rare to find such an example without the original ID plate, let alone one WITH the plate still intact. Thanks for sharing. Suggest you purchase Bob Oldham’s book “Field Guide to North American Hand Presses…” for a more comprehensive understanding.

Here are a couple BP links which discuss similar period Hoes.

http://www.briarpress.org/45410

http://www.briarpress.org/46976

james bourland
on 30 Sep 18 (15:05)

chartres3001, per chance was the building off or near Lee Circle? Very nice find.
best james

chartres3001
on 1 Oct 18 (20:15)

The press was in a building I purchased in Arabi, Louisiana. The building was once owned by the Roy family who founded and still edit the 125 year old Saint Bernard Voice newspaper. It is thought to have been purchased from a New Orleans newspaper called the Bee. The press was moved around quite a bit and the missings pieces may be around but time and the devastation of hurricane Katrina makes finding them difficult. More photos attached.