We have an electrical pole!

(Now just need electricity —supply chain issues plaguing us!) But it’s a start. Xcel did an amazing job, “digging” out a 5-1/2 foot hole with a very precise vacuum-cleaner type machine.

and, again with precision, swinging around another pole up the alley to hold a new transformer

Fun fact: the poles are set in the ground with…Polecrete!

Not so fun fact: Months of delay on our panel box arrival, now scheded for end of sigh October. But hey we have a pole when we’re ready for sparks to fly.

Getting inky at book fair

Great meeting people and printing with them at the recent Rocky Mountain Book & Paper Fair at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. Three presses kept busy by board members Tom Parson, Bryan Dahlberg, Ian Van Mater, Marc Silberman and Dave Laskowski II.

Hot time printing!

Inspiring the next generation at Cushing Park, during Englewood’s Neighborhood Nights. Little Dry Creek in the park was the site where gold first was discovered in Colorado!

Having a blast printing! #July4th #MeetaPressMonday

An etching press found at an estate sale saw its first action this past week when Albert Gallo brought over a large copper printing plate to proof.  Albert describes himself as “husband, son, brother, hard worker, thinker of things, maker and avid bike rider. Collector of hobbies.”  Fresh from printing at Ridgefest in Wheat Ridge, he wanted to see what this strange large printing plate he had acquired looked like.

Tom Parson thought of our new etching press. Normally used for intaglio printing, an etching press consists of metal rollers between which a flat press-bed slides under pressure. A design is acid-etched or engraved into a plate which then has ink rubbed into its grooves. After the surface of the plate is wiped clean, heavy pressure is applied and the design is transferred to paper. It’s the opposite of relief printing where the material (like type) is raised and the inked surface is printed.

But a press like this can also be used for relief printing if the rollers are adjusted, useful for situations where the item to be printed is not type high (all items in letterpress printing must be  0.9186 high). So in went Albert’s copper plate

And out came

This plate of the world’s largest wire rope is now in the Depot collection, donated by Albert.

Also this week, Alicia McKim’s class from the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design came to visit and printed wood type and cuts from our collection on a Vandercook proof press.

All this in the shadow of work being done by Tom and visiting Seattle printer, writer and Depot supporter Paul Hunter on the challenging Challenge press, model 1528KA. This cylinder proof press had seen some hard times and needed a lot of TLC.

They hoped a broken cast iron part could be welded.

But sadly the weld did not hold.  In fact, two replacement parts for the 1528KA will be needed to fix this beautiful press. Where in the world? Or it will have to be offered out as parts for someone else’s project. Heavy metal inky hope!

Busy May (but wait, how is it almost over?)

An unwelcome surprise this year was the discovery that the Depot’s main structural beam and other supports had rotted. But this month, temporary vertical supports to hold up the roof were erected, the old vertical and horizontal beams replaced and the temporary ones removed. All part of the rehabilitation funded by the State Historical Fund and donors like you.

We also did more printing with elementary school kids - at Bishop, Cherrelyn and, below, at Charles Hay World School.

Board members Kirk Benson and Dave Laskowski II. Kirk also is an arts specialist in Englewood schools.

Then it was time for the Rocky Mountain Stamp Show at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds. Some samples of what we printed: Board member Marc Silberman designed the vegetable laden-tribute to Colorado agriculture for the event and Executive Director Tom Parson had fun printing various cuts.

Also some great railroad finds at the next door ephemera show!

Volunteers always welcome! Englewooddepot@gmail.com or call 720-480-5358.

Newbie at the Depot - #MeetaPressMonday

An 1870s Curtis and Mitchell Columbian #2 Rotary Press has arrived at the Depot, donated by board member Bill Whitley. This beauty has a fancy flywheel, cast iron Columbia cameos and a monogrammed treadle.

Todd Simmons of Wolverine Publishing originally got the press in Wyoming and displayed it in his Fort Collins bookstore. At the time, Bill told Todd he’d be interested in the press if he ever parted with it, and in January he gave it to Bill and was pleased it would be headed to the Depot. Don Hildred, who had made chases for the press, helped in the Depot delivery.  

Unique to this press when it was first sold was a device which provided a pause in the action of the platen to make feeding it easier.

This pause or dwell, which was controlled by two side arms and an inner cam, was invented by Jarvis Burrell. He turned his patents over to Edward Curtis and Edward Mitchell, two Bostonians involved in the printing trade. They produced our 6x9 platen model as well as an 8x12.  C&M went out of business in 1892 partly because of the competition from 123 other platen presses, according to a 1996 letter to Type & Press.

Curtis and Mitchell also made table top models:

Image from the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, taken by Centennial Photographic Company

One of my personal favorites, for its size and ease of use, is our tabletop C&M Columbian #1. It has made many appearances at fairs and schools.

Busy times for Depotians! A steamroller and much more!

While board members Dave Laskowski II, Kirk Benson and Elanor Harris were designing and carving a large MDF board for the steamroller event…

… Tom Parson and Marc Silberman were printing with students at Bishop and Cherrelyn Elementary Schools in Englewood, thanks to Kirk who is a teacher at both schools. They also taught printing to some adults at Marc’s studio the same day.

Tom also was on a quest to see what was salvageable from two of Dana Smith’s presses burned during the Marshall fire—sadly not much—and from artist/photographer/designer Glenn Cuerden’s incredible archive of work, damaged by a broken water pipe.

The first of MANY rescue carloads for Glenn’s collection. More on that work in a later blog.

Because now it’s time to see the Steamroller event at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design! Elanor, Depot president Ian Van Mater and Erin Rademacher put ink and more ink on the board, then laid it on the ground, covered it with plywood and let the steamroller roll!

Here are a few of the other prints steamrolled that day!

So much has been going on since our Open House tour as part of Mo’Print in March. Thank you to all who came.

If you missed, or want to do/see more (we always have more to do, more to show) come to our meetup Saturday April 23 - englewooddepot@gmail.com or 720-480-5358 for details.

One day until Open Studio - more presses you'll meet!

Saturday, March 26, we will have a Mo’Print Open Studio tour 10-4, where you can see all our presses, and some even in action. Here are some you will get to meet (for info on larger platens, go here; for smaller platens, here).

Hand Presses

Bryan Dahlberg will be printing on the Reliance A model Washington hand press

Reliance iron handpress, Paul Schniedewend & Co, model New A ~1898

The “New A” model Reliance was advertised in 1898 as weighing in at 975 pounds. Schniedewend went on to manufacture a wide variety of Reliance presses from the 10x8 baby Reliance to the 5,000 pound Mastodon. This model have previously been restored by Rob Barnes.

Also at the Depot:

F Wesel iron handpress  ~1895

This press, which we were told survived falling out of the fourth story of a building rocked by the 1906 SF earthquake (check the welds), was built by F. Wesel Manufacturing of New York. Wesel and many others turned out these 19th century presses once the original patent held by Samuel Rust and later by R. Hoe & Co expired. It was donated to the Depot by the estate of Jim Grisenti.

Other large presses

Our Heidelberg

Heidelberg Windmill 10x12   Manufactured 1923-85!

From Letterpress Commons: A key feature of the design is the rotating gripper attached to the moving platen, which grips and releases the paper stock.  It’s this gripper which has stimulated American owners to dub it “the windmill”.  It’s also the reason why the presses have a large metal plate embossed “Original Heidelberg” high on the front.  Without it, it’s too tempting to bend over the finished stock to inspect one’s handiwork, only to receive a severe facial injury from the rotating gripper.  

Campbell Century Pony newspaper press  ~1893

The Campbell Printing & Manufacturing Company produced presses as far back as the 1880s. Its “Century Pony” press came in three sizes: this is its smallest, with a printing area of 22” x 34”. Used in Leadville and later for printing posters for Lakeside Amusement Park, it was donated to the Depot by John Major Jenkins.

Cylinder Presses  

Challenge Proof Press

Challenge proof press, 1528KA* 

C&P Cylinder Press with paper feeder 10x15*    early 1940s

Only 250 of this model were ever made - they had to stop production for World War 2,  when all resources were diverted to the war effort. During the war, the company emphasized the connection between printing and democracy. One ad read  “Truly truth is mankind’s door to freedom — the printing press the key to that door.” While another said “the printing press, since its origin, has been the one indestructible weapon in man’s struggle for freedom.”

Vandercook 219 AB power (belongs to board member Ian Van Mater’s)*   1948-58

This model also has an adjustable bed. According to the Vandercook Census, there are only six other power carriage models in use, making this a rare find.

 Line Casting Machines

Intertype—unfortunately not hot right now!

Intertype C-4

This machine helped put out the Denver Post until they, like most newspapers in the 1970’s and 80’s , moved to phototypesetting and then computer typesetting. You can imagine the operator sitting in their chair, all the news of the day flowing through their keyboard. It is similar in operation to a Linotype machine. The Saguache Crescent still uses their 101 year old Linotype to put out their paper.

Ludlow

 A hot metal typesetting system, which casts  slugs of type, out of type metal primarily consisting of lead. These slugs are used for the actual printing, and then are melted down and recycled and re-used on the spot. It was used to print large-type material such as newspaper headlines or posters.

Any questions, any interests, any ideas, contact us at englewooddepot@gmail.com, 720-480-5358, @letterpressdepot on Facebook & Instagram, @letpressdepot on Twitter.

More #meetapressMonday...on a Wednesday. Come see in person!

On Monday, we looked at our big platen presses. Today it’s time for a few of their smaller siblings. You can see them all at our Open Studio, part of Mo’Print, Saturday March 26, 10-4.

Curtis and Mitchell Columbian Press #1 at Cherry Creek High School’s Fine Arts Friday

Curtis & Mitchell Columbian No.1 tabletop platen ~1878

A workhorse for the Depot, this press with its portability and easygoing nature makes appearances at schools and fairs.

Heather P. on the roller press as a past Rocky Mountain Book & Paper Fair

Vandercook Office Proof Press

Another traveling favorite that even children can use, this provides an easy way to proof type and cuts. Although the Depot’s model is 20th century, proof presses have an important history. According to the Smithsonian, “The invention of portable tabletop printing presses at the time of the American Civil War allowed for better communication in the field. Portable presses were purchased by several Union and Confederate military units.”

 Other roller style proof presses at the Depot include

• Poco Proof press

• Vandercook Truss press

Kelsey 3x5 printing a very tiny book

Kelsey Presses

The first presses of choice by young people way back in the day. Twenty one year old founder William Kelsey put up the first ad for his press in 1872, pushing it “For Boys..…Delightful, money making amusement.”  He sold it for $5, figuring he could make the money back on selling type and other necessities.

In the Depot, we have

• Kelsey 3x5

• Kelsey 5x8, model P

Other small platens at the Depot:

Chandler and Price Pilot

The Pilot Press, manufactured for nearly 100 years by Chandler & Price and later re-produced by both Craftsmen Machinery Company of Boston and American Printing Equipment of New York, is said to be one of the most sought-after presses in the world today.

 Sigwalt Non-Pareil (~Golding Official)  Manufactured between 1900-20

The Nonpareil was actually seen by many as a patent infringement because it was basically a carbon copy of a Golding press at the time. Sigwalt later revised the press into the Ideal line and kept production until the late 1950's or so.

Etching press

A find by board member Marc Silberman, who grabbed it after it was being discarded. The model or similar is still available for sale online.

More presses to post later this week. Any questions, email us at englewooddepot@gmail.com or call 720-480-5358.

#meetapressMonday Come see us in person Saturday 3.26

Open Studio Tour Saturday 10-4 as part of Mo’Print, the Month of print. Come see our presses, with many in action!

Here are just some of the presses you will see - more will be shared other days this week!

Gordon Franklin press - note the brass side arms!

Gordon Franklin platen, new style 10x15  ~1871

The Gordon Franklin, called “the single most famous and influential jobbing press of the nineteenth century” was invented by George Phineas Gordon, who is celebrated as having developed the basic design of the most popular printing press ever. He named this model the  Franklin because Gordon, a spiritualist, said that Ben Franklin had described it to him in a dream. Our model is a Gordon’s brass side-arm “new style”, that started to be manufactured in 1871 when the patent on the older version was expiring.

Jones Gordon  Press ~1890

Manufactured by John M. Jones. Jones, who first built presses for George Phineas Gordon, started building them on his own when Gordon’s patents expired.

C&P 10x15 at the start of a print run

by Chandler & Price -All these built on the model designed by George Phineas Gordon

7x11, old style   1898-910x15 old style  1902

8x12 new style ~1930

Bryan Dahlberg, Doug Sorenson and Tom Parson huddle around the Colt’s Armory Press

Colts Armory platen (on loan from Doug Sorenson) ~1887

The name given after 1887 to Merrit Gally’s Universal press, which he’d introduced in 1869. The former minister held more than 500 patents. John Thomson, who hated Gally from the first time he heard him preach as a child, ended up taking over manufacture of the press in a high noon standoff worthy of the Colt’s name. For more details of this history see https://bit.ly/3D4BXIy

Old Reliable platen press 8x12    1888

The Old Reliable was manufactured for just one year  by H.H. Thorpe (Cleveland Type Foundry). James Thorpe held many other platen press patents, which he later sold to Chandler and Price.  Used by hobby printer Jim Grisenti, it was donated to the Depot by Jim Fitzgerald in memory of printer Wimpy Miller.

Schniedewend & Lee Old Style platen  Manufactured between 1884-93

This press also was built on the foundations laid by George Phineas Gordon. The Schniedewend company also built the Reliance A iron hand press on our east wall.

Damon-Peets platen, new style 9x12 (on loan from Doug Sorenson) ~1893

Calling itself the “latest improved Gordon,”whose “style supersedes all other presses” and which can print 2,000 sheets an hour, it was made by Damon & Peets of New York.

Next up: the Depot’s smaller presses…stay tuned! Come see them all March 26, Open Studio 10-4

ZINES OF THE PAST at SMALL PRESS FES

Come to the Denver Small Press Fest on Saturday, March 12 o visit with the Letterpress Depot and go away with zines (they were called journals then) from the 1950s to 1990s. Free handouts as long as they last. It’s eye-opening to realize how many of the same concerns and delights writers had back then - and also how much has changed. Also eye opening to see all this letterpress printing, done so frequently and so well.

Also on display —and these are for sale - posters designed by printers from around the world for the Depot. And much more. Something for every vintage.

STOP BY 11-5PM AND SAY HI TO TOM, IAN OR DAVID

A new old press, at home at the Depot

One of the Letterpress Depot’s most recent acquisitions – a Jones Gordon press, generously donated (along with other goodies) by Stacey Steers, David Brunel and Nena Restrepo-Gil of Boulder. THANK YOU!

After cleaning and oiling the press, Tom Parson got it rolling

A label on it says it was from “Chicago Newspaper Union. ” The donors got it a few decades ago from the weekly Dongola, Illinois, Tri-County Record, Its rollers were still wrapped in a six page issue dated June 15, 2000, which has an ad for “Does-the-Job Printing.”  A functional and historic addition to our printing museum collection! 

The press was manufactured between 1890-1903 in Palmyra, New York by John M. Jones. Jones made presses for George Phineas Gordon, who is celebrated as having developed the basic design of the most common printing press ever, the Gordon Letterpress. As Gordon’s patents expired, others such as Jones produced their own versions of his innovative machines.

The press has a treadle and several creative and practical additions to the original Gordon platen press. It has an easier new way to remove the chase, roller lifters so when you’re inking the press the ink doesn’t get on the form, and hand dial that adjusts the pressure—even while in the midst of printing - so you don’t have to open the packing to make small adjustments to improve the impression. And much more. The press is missing the sophisticated upper disk ink roller system noted in the ad, but has a detached small New Century inker.

Interestingly, Jones also invented one of the first typewriters or, as he called it, “Domestic Printing Machines”. His was only the third to reach manufacture—but the factory burned down after 130 had been fully or partially assembled.

End of 2021 thanks! & procrastinators' special last chance

We have been counting on you and wish to report our total thanks for your wonderful support!

Year-end fundraising for the Depot - through Colorado Gives, individual checks by mail, from friends on FaceBook via Network for Good, and sales of posters and books on our webstore - now totals $23,000!

A huge THANK YOU for our community!

Rehab construction of our historic Englewood Depot is now underway with grant support from the State Historical Fund and previous donations from our community. In 2022 a next phase of construction is planned with your year-end 2021 contributions and an additional $20,000 grant award from the Gates Family Foundation.

PROCRASTINATORS' SPECIAL

Our year-end match for all donations will continue until the last minute of 2021.
It's not too late! Click here for your last chance for our match.

Despite Covid and Omicron cautions and limitations, we would love to hear from you about any letterpress needs, suggestions, wishes, offerings. Please email or call 720-480-5358. As weather and other conditions permit, we are available at the Depot in person with various projects underway.

THANK YOU! ALL DONATIONS STILL DOUBLED!

We so appreciate all who gave on Colorado Gives Day and Giving Tuesday too. Your support really touched our hearts and helped us in chug on down the tracks.

In case anyone missed those days here’s another chance—we are extending the doubling of all donations through the end of the year.

We know your social and inboxes are jammed with reminders

of Colorado Gives Day, so with apologies…one more. Please go to https://www.coloradogives.org/letterpressdepot and give. The more we receive from donations, the more we get from the incentive fund. Every dollar and every donation helps.

Tomorrow..tomorrow...the sun will come out... Dec 7!

Make our sun shine!

Go to https://www.coloradogives.org/LetterpressDepot, give tonight or give tomorrow, give from the heart or any random body part. If you give before December 7, make sure to scroll down and click on the green button “Schedule for Gives Day.” That way, we get a bigger % of the incentive match! Your funds will be put to quick use in our 1915 railroad depot.

Tick tick tick...counting down to Colorado Gives Day

It’s easy as pie

And speaking of pie, if you give to the Depot via Colorado Gives Day, we get a piece of the incentive pie they give on December 7.

Give today and (importantly) click on the green SCHEDULE GIVES DAY button so it counts on December 7. Or wait and give on December 7. Either way, the money will be put to good use. We have started rehabilitation on the Depot’s main room. But thanks to the rising cost of materials, expenses are higher than anticipated.

The more we raise now, the more we can do to fix up this 1915 railroad depot we like to call home.

If you already have registered at Coloradogives.org (it’s free), go to https://www.coloradogives.org/letterpressdepot and give what you can. And click on the Schedule for Gives Day green button. You do not have to live in Colorado. And if you have already given….

Next up: Our main fundraiser--Colorado Gives Day!

You can schedule now for a donation to take place on December 7 or just go to www.coloradogives.org/letterpressdepot on that date and give what you can to make a difference at the Depot. Remember to click the green button that says Schedule for Gives Day if you give earlier so that the donation will be matched. Meanwhile….

The contractor’s team has begun work rehabilitating the main room of the Depot, thanks to a 2020 grant from the State Historical Fund and funds raised during last year’s Colorado Gives Day. This year’s Gives Day is just as critical to help us get closer to occupancy, so we can move forward with workshops, demonstrations and events. We know there are a lot of demands on your wallet, but please be as generous as you can.

Thankful for our supporters and followers

Why did the turkey cross the road? To prove he wasn’t chicken.

But seriously, we are grateful for all those who’ve been with us this month, this year, or for the past several years, as we worked to get a place we can call home. And we so appreciate those who already scheduled donations to the Depot for Colorado Gives Day. (see info below). But meanwhile…

It was Heidelberg time at the Depot. The Heidelberg Windmill press, not the beer. Our executive director took a class on figuring out this amazing machine which can print 3,000 impressions an hour! The trick is to get this press which was donated to the Depot up and working. So taking it one step at a time. Meanwhile…

To donate, go to https://www.coloradogives.org/LetterpressDepot/overview?step=step1 or just type in Letterpress Depot on ColoradoGives.org where it says “find a non profit by name.” Enter the amount you’re donating and then click on the green button to schedule for GIVES DAY. You won’t be charged until then. Your donations on that day bring us a match… but your donations any day are so appreciated.

Thanks for the scheduled donations!

We are so excited to see some scheduled donations for Colorado Gives Day come in! THANK YOU! The actual day is December 7, but you can schedule your donation now. That makes us eligible for a drawing for extra money AND all money that comes in that day gets us a percentage match. Giving instructions below. But first, some pix of Depot happenings - “new” presses, type and printing.

To donate, go to https://www.coloradogives.org/LetterpressDepot/overview?step=step1 or just type in Letterpress Depot on ColoradoGives.org where it says “find a non profit by name.” Enter the amount you’re donating and then click on the green button to schedule for GIVES DAY. You won’t be charged until then. Your donations keep us going. (A recent visitor would’ve had me running)