It was a colorful night at Cherrelyn Elementary in Englewood when the Letterpress Depot showed off three of its newly acquired historic Adana presses. With the advantage of multiple presses owned by the nonprofit and by board members, it was possible to print one color on each press - blue, yellow and black - resulting in a multi-colored (letterpress style) image of the city’s famed Cherrelyn Trolley. The trolley, which ran from 1894-1910, was horse-drawn up a one mile hill. At the top, the horse boarded the trolley for the gravity-propelled trip downhill!
By combining arts and technology, the printing demo was a great way to celebrate the Schools STEAM night – the study of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. Board members from the Depot printed last year at Cherrelyn and Bishop Elementary and at the Charles Hay World School. Their next printing demonstration will be at the city’s Spring Festival, April 1.
The Adana presses have an interesting history. After he returned with what was then called shell shock from World War I, and after being laid off from work, Donald Aspinall of Twickenham, England designed a model press for hobby printers. According to historian Bob Richardson of St. Bride’s Library, Aspinall advertised it before he had any presses actually to sell. When money started rolling in, he went to the police to ask what to do. The reply was blunt: ‘Make the presses.”
When production had stopped because of World War II—and after the company had a new owner—it was approached by members of the Norwegian underground to come up with a small press that could be used by the Nazi resistance. The manager explained that the only thing they had to offer was a single pre-war wooden flatbed, which was in pieces. The visitors took it and returned seven days later with a modified machine, half its size. After securing an order for 50 of the machines from the government, Adana sent out a call for old flatbed presses that could be cut down and then dropped from airplanes behind enemy lines across occupied Europe. They were used for the production of propaganda material and forged documents.
History and image from St. Bride’s Foundation
The Depot and its board members have two different models of Adana presses which were popular with hobby and commercial printers.
Two of the presses are horizontal Quarto flatbed presses: They have a rotating ink disk and two ink rollers which extend out over the disk as it prints and then ink the type form as the press is opened again. The pressure is delivered like the early 19th century “Parlour Press” invented by Edward Cowper: It hooks the end of the handle when the platen is closed, to press down to print.
The other three presses are known as Eight-Five Adanas—named for the size of the chase. They operate like American Kelsey presses, with a front handle and a toggle lever.
Adana eventually was bought out by Caslon (which has its own illustrious history that can be said to trace back to typefounder William Caslon, born in 1692). Caslon made the presses until 1999, but then re-started the brand in 2016
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For more information about any presses owned by Letterpress Depot or about volunteering at upcoming printing events, call/text 720-480-5358 or email englewooddepot@gmail.com.