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Proof Presses
we
have collected and use at the Excelsior Press Museum Print Shop
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One
of the major steps in the
growth of the Excelsior Press was the acquisition of our first proof
press, a Vandercook Model 4T, built in 1946 and initially sold to
Newark Trade Typographers in 1946 and
acquired at auction, in NYC, in 1977.
The Vandercook made possible
things that simply were not practical on the 8x12
or the 12x18 "Big Ben" Hand-fed platen presses we used for most of our
work. At the time, we were a full-time
commercial print shop and one of two local printers in our community.
We used it to print proofs of hand-set type for our own use as well as
for other printers. We used it to print posters up to 14x20 inches. We
played with it; we printed engravings, made up funny little signs and
simply enjoyed having it in our shop. It became the most popular
machine.
Our Vandercook Model 4 is featured
on the second half of our print shop hand press video.
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Our Proof Presses today
This ignomineous
stack of machines are three of our proof presses, piled one upon the
other as we prepare permanent work spaces for them. The lower one is an
old Vandercook Composing Room Cylinder - Model 17(?) reconditioned at the
Vandercook factory in 1924. This one was donated by our friends from
Watchung Laminating Company.
Across the rails of it is an old Miles
Nervine Proof Press, which may be even older. There's an
interesting story to that one which I
will tell as soon as I get a chance to edit this page.
At the end of the press is a little Show Card Sign Press,
which is really relatively new. This was actually made to print small
signs in
department stores, but it has all the characteristics and capabilities
of a small proof press and it works quite well!
The 1946 Model 4T and the 1936 Model 099 are in the
other room, amidst the type cases. The photo below shows them both,
sort of... 
You can see the board we place
across the rails of the Model 4 when it's not in use. There's a large
type form on the bed underneath that cover and we want it to stay
clean.
Besides, that little piece of plywood, cut to fit just right and sanded
and stained to look nice, makes a great place to lay my reading glass
case... ;)
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Our
Vandercook Model 4 would look like this one from Paul Moxon's
Vandercook
website if we ever get it fully restored to like new
condition. Currently, that work is in process - although it's in
perfect working order and is used regularly, it's still waiting for
that complete sanding down and fresh coats of paint that it deserves.
We've got another one in the barn, but it went through a flood and
still needs a lot of work before it will go back into operation.
And, for
Paul's review, here are the serial number plates for the three
Vandercooks currently in operation in our shop:
Composing Room Cylinder - No 17(?) serial number 992086
According to Paul Moxon, the 99 is a prefix that indicates that the
press was reconditioned at the factory. So the original serial number
would have been 2086. Ours was reconditioned in 1924, so it appears to
have originally been built prior to then.
and, our 1946 Model 4T
and the Vandercook Model 99 - serial number 03625 made in 1936.
Well, that's all for now. This is
just a quick page I threw up tonight to show Paul the photos I took the
other day. I'll flesh it out and make it worth reading another
evening....
I'll also get the sn of the other Vandercook and the Challenge presses
out in the barn.
page last updated
April 10, 2007
