Thursday 10 April 2008

My first letterpress machine - an Arab platen press

I acquired this Arab treadle platen press, with 70 cases of type, in about 1988, and set it up in the Star Brewery in Lewes, where I shared a space with four other artists and also did my paintings (see my blog: http://peterchasseaud.blogspot.com). The press and type came originally from the Ditchling Press, and the word was that it had been used by David Jones and Eric Gill.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Back in about 1957 my Father and I owned a Cropper FF platen, We bought it from a chap in West Bromwich for about £20 (I think) it was in pieces and he delivered it to us in Gloucestershire. My Dad was a Toolmaker so he had no difficulty reassembling it. The most trouble we had was with ink rollers, we ended up casting our own out of gelatin; in a mould made by my Dad of course! We couldn't afford very good type, used a firm called Dosseter in Westferry road (that rings a bell now in print!!) Later we used Mouldtype in Morpeth.

Unknown said...

PS I'm the Ed! Mavis is My wife.

Parimal Manek said...

I remember using one of these machines at King Edward VI School Southampton, Printing Club.It had been donated to the school, complete with a set of Font Trays, and other paraphanlia. This was in 1981. It was then donated to a museum at Solent University in that year.
I am not sure what happened to it then.