Details about Gordon Letterpress. Rare, fully restored
1860's platen press in working order. Museum quality piece
of printing history ready to print Popular 19 viewed per
hour
Seller information bigwheelpress (287 ) 100% Positive
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Item condition: Used It is complete! All original parts
except for replaced gripper bars and a replaced tympan
clamp. ...
Time left: Time left: 6d 14h Friday, 10:33AM - 2017.0811 -
0817
Starting bid: US $1,800.00
Enter US $1,800.00 or more Buy it now
Price: US $3,500.00 Buy It Now
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This press is one of the earliest made by George Phineas
Gordon. It was made prior to 1872 and could be as early as
1863. It is complete! All original parts except for
replaced gripper bars and a replaced tympan clamp. We had
a blacksmith recreate these parts using rescued 19th
century metals. Even the feed boards are original. We have
outfitted this beauty with new rollers and trucks from
Ramco. This is an extremely rare, museum quality, piece of
printing history.
It prints as if it is new. The action on this press is
amazing. It takes very little pressure on the treadle to
get the fly wheel moving. We took extra care in properly
cleaning all moving parts and lubrication holes. It
comes with one original chase. The original brass patent
plate is still intact.
George Phineas Gordon (April 21, 1810 January 27,
1878) was an American inventor, printer and businessman
who developed the basic design of the most common
printing press ever, the Gordon Letterpress.
Born in Salem, New Hampshire, where his family had
lived for more than one hundred years, he was educated
there and at Boston before deciding to become an actor.
Failing to achieve a livelihood at this, he moved to New
York where he became an apprentice printer. Upon
learning the trade, he opened a job printing shop of his
own. Around 1835 he began to experiment in press design.
His first patent for a job-press was granted in 1851.
While this press had many flaws, he began to manufacture
it as the "Yankee" job press. Subsequently he introduced
the "Turnover" and the "Firefly," which could produce
10,000 printed cards an hour. About 1858 he produced the
"Franklin" press, which has ever since been known as the
Gordon Jobber. (Gordon claimed that Benjamin Franklin
had revealed the basic design of the press to him in a
dream.) It was strong, well built, and easy to operate.
The Gordon Press solved the problem of clam-shell
presses (which previously had "snapped" and endangered
pressmen's fingers) by having the platen open on cams,
so that it was flat and lagged for the pressman as he
fed the sheet, before closing parallel to the type bed.
Gordon began manufacturing presses in Rhode Island but
in 1872 established his factory in Rahway, New Jersey.
This is a Rhode Island press.
We will crate the press for shipping for an additional
$200. If you pick it up at our studio we will walk you
through the operation and maintenance of the press. You
will need a dock height vehicle to load the press. A
fork lift operator is available locally if you come with
a trailer. There would be an additional few for his
services.
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