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Equipment for Book Binding and Printing

• Albion Press
• Challenge Advance Guillotine Paper Cutter
• Linotype Model 8
• Bookbinding Equipment
• Additional Equipment

Albion Press

The Albion Press was invented by Richard Cope in England in the early 1820's. The press was noted for its lighter weight, ease of use, and quicker, shorter pull than the other presses of the time. When Cope died in 1828, the executors of his estate (J&J Bartlett) continued his press manufacturing company by having John Hopkinson (Cope's foreman) run the business. For a while all three names were on the press. However, from 1840 onward, the company was known as "Hopkinson & Cope." The word "Albion," another name for England, was probably choosen to distinguish it from its chief rival from United States, the " Columbian." The Albion was in production until the 1940's.

The Albion Press in the McCune Collection was manufactured of iron and steel at London in 1852 by Hopkinson & Cope. It received the number #3294. It is a demy sixe, 24 x 18 inches at the platen, stands 6 foot six inches and weighs just under 2000 pounds.

Albion PressAlbion PressAlbion Press

The press was bought by Dr. McCune, upon the advice of Roger Levenson of the Tamalpais Press at Berkeley. It was purchased from Hewitt Bros. of Field St, London. Dr. McCune secured the press in a close race with the University of Texas. Luckily, his serendipitous cablegram arrived in time for him to obtain the press. The Albion Press, a Brayer ink-table, and an unclothed 18 inch roller cost Dr. McCune $1040 F.O.B. San Francisco; freight and erection added $300. He received the press in July 1968.

During the next few years, Dr. McCune hand-printed many broadsides and booklets on this press, and this continued until his stroke in 1971. He donated the press to the Vallejo Public Library along with his book collection. All these items were placed in the special collections room of John F. Kennedy Library and are an integral part of the McCune Collection. The Albion Press has been reconditioned and the McCune Press Society has been formed as a sub-group to the McCune Committee to encourage use of this fine press.

Corner View Albion PressFront ViewCorner ViewFront View Top SectionFront Top Half ViewTop Half ViewFront View of Handle MechanismFront ViewFront View Close-upDetail on HandleTop View of Bolster and Rails Tympan HingeView of Rounce and GirthsBack View from underneath of Rounce and GirthsUnderneath View showing the girths (bands of cloth) around the rounceOrnate Base and view of the rounce and girthsBack ViewBack Side ViewBack ViewBack View showing the PlatenClose-up of the RearRear View showing PlatenSide View of the RearSide ViewSide ViewSide View of PlatenSide View of the Rear showing the PlatenSide ViewOrnate BaseFront Side ViewSide View of the Albion PressClose-up View of Handle to Move RounceView of Bar HandleSide View showing Bar HandleSide View of Handle MechanismSide View showing part of handle on leftClose-up ViewBack View of Handle MechanismBack ViewToggle Mechanism - back viewBack ViewToggle MechanismBack ViewBack ViewBack ViewToggle MechanismFront View of Handle MechanismSide View close-up of Handle MechanismClose-up ViewSide View close-upClose-upClose-up ViewSide View close-upToogle Mechanism - side viewToogle MechanismToggle Mechanism showing the wedge in the centerClose-up ViewOrnate Frame Head

Gallery

The Sign March 1970To a Waterfowl August 1970Vallejo AlbionYou YouJune 1969Library Groundbreaking Sept 1968Hymn -Roman Liturgy 1Jan 70Haec Est Officina TypographicaA Printer page 1A Printer page 2A Printer page 3Ad Dante 001Ad DanteBeagle Press MarkBeagle Press May 1968Dedicated ToGeorgicon Aug 1969Georgicon II Nov. 1969 page 1Georgicon II Nov. 1969 page 2Georgicon II Nov. 1969 page 3Little Black Boy page 1Little Black Boy page 2Little Black Boy page 3Little Black Boy page 4Obiter Dictum Apr. 1969Resolution Nov. 1968The Generation Gap Sept. 1968 page 1The Generation Gap Sept. 1968 page 2

Linotype Model 8

Front Overview

The Linotype was invented by Ottmar Mergenthaler (1854-1899) in 1884. Although born in Germany, Mergenthaler became a naturalized American citizen in 1878. The Linotype was a revolution in the printing world. No longer would a man have to manually place the type to print a book or newspaper.

The Linotype machine [Photo 1] in the McCune Room is an immediate center of attention for the visitor. Its nameplate lists it as Linotype Model 8, Serial Number 33931 [Photo 2]. Based on the serial number, this actually is a Model 8A, which began being shipped from the Mergenthaler Company in April 1922.

The Linotype was setup with a keyboard of 90 keys [Photo 3]. The white section (on the right) contained the upper case letters; the black section (on the left) contained the lower case letters; and the blue section (in the middle) contained small capitals, numbers, punctuations and fixed width spaces. By the use of the keyboard, the operator could type out the text. This would then be assembled from the magazines [Photo 4] which contained different size fonts. The type matrix [Photo 5] and the spacebands [Photo 6] were used to establish the text that would be made into a line of type (known as a slug) [Photo 7].

The slug is made when the pig ingot [Photo 8], which is made of lead, is melted and mixed with tin and antimony. The linotype metal is composed of 4% tin, 12% antimony, and 84% lead. This is melted at a temperature of up to 550 degrees and placed in the mold disk [Photo 9]. The type matrix [Photo 5] is made of brass and the spaceband [Photo 6] is a steel band which separates the words from each other. The molted metal is then cast using these matrixes and spacebands which results in the line of type [Photo 7].

• Photo 10 example of type and sizes of fonts
• Photo 11 Linotype Front View
• Photo 12 Linotype Front Left View
• Photo 13 Linotype Front Right View
• Photo 14 Linotype Front Left Section Looking Down
• Photos 15 Linotype Details
• Photos 16 Linotype Left Side Views
• Photos 17 Linotype Right Side View
• Photo 18 Linotype Back View

Gallery

Front ViewFront OverviewFront View ZoomLeft Side ViewModel & Serial NoKeyboardMagazineType MatrixType MatrixType MatrixSpace BandLine of TypeLine of TypeLead Pig IngotsLead Pig IngotsMold DiskMold DiskFont SizesFont SizesFront ViewFront OverviewFront Left SectionFront View Left DetailFront View Left DetailFront View DetailFront View DetailFront Right View DetailFront Right SectionFront Right Section DetailFront Right Section DetailFront Left Section Looking DownAssemblage ElevatorAssemblage Indicator SlideAuxiliary EscapementTraveling BeltLeft Side View BottomLeft Side View Looking DownLeft Side View TopLeft SideLeft Side DetailRight Side View TopRight Side View BottomRight Side View BottomRight Side View BackEmerson MotorBack ViewBack ViewBack View

Challenge Advance Guillotine Paper Cutter

Challenge Advance Paper Cutter

The Challenge Advance Guillotine Paper Cutter has a clamp handwheel at the top, a lever to put pressure on the blade and a counterweight to help bring the lever to its start position. There is also a back gauge handwheel to move the bed of the paper cutter so that the proper size paper can be cut.

The clamp wheel is used to clamp the paper stock into place. Usually a piece of cardboard is used to protect the paper from any clamp marks. The paper is cut by the pressure of the lever.

Gallery

Clamp HandwheelChallenge Machinery Bed and Back Gauge WheelChallenge Machinery NameplateBed Gauge MeasurementDetailDetail Advance with BladeBolton BladeBack ViewCounterweightView of BladeChallenge Advance Paper CutterGuillotine Paper CutterSide View

Bookbinding Equipment

The McCune Collection has a major collection of bookbinding equipment. It may be the largest collection of finishing tools west of Chicago. There are approximately four hundred finishing tools, including decorative rolls and wheels, pallets, gouges, fillets, decorative hand stamps, polisher, burnishers and others. There are also a number of handle letters for decorating books.

Some of the tools makers represented are: G. A. Hoffmann of New York (in business from 1896 to the 1930); Relton (in business 1816-1832) and Joseph Morris & Co. (in business 1823-1868), both from London; and John R. Hoole of New York (in business 1842-1868).

Gallery

Bookbinding ToolsBookbinding ToolsType-holderPolisherPolisher aBrass WheelBacking HammerGlue BrushPalletRubber RollerDecorative Roll (Top View)Decorative Roll (Side View)Spring DividerBookbinding ToolsWheel 7Decorative RollDecorative Decorative WheelToolPalletsDecorative ToolsDecorative ToolTypeholderBrushes & Polishing Iron

Additional Equipment

Sewing Frame

A sewing frame is used to sew the quires or signatures together to form the body of the book.

H.B. Rouse & Co. Panameric Hand Miterer

The Panameric Hand Miterer is used for cutting angles on lead or brass rule strips so they will join together properly in making corners.

H.B. Rouse & Co. Composing Stick

The composing stick is used for setting type. H.B. Rouse was a major company in the manufacture of composing sticks.

H.B. Rouse & Co. Lead and Rule Cutter

This is used to cut lead type and linotype slugs. A catalog of H.B. Rouse & Co. printed in 1946 can be found at http://www.archive.org/details/RouseCatalogPriceList19460916/.

Book Press

Cast Iron book press with hand wheel on top. The top platen is lowered by pressure from the hand wheel due to the threaded screw mechanism. The base has holes for attaching it to a foundation. A book press is used to apply even pressure when fixing a book.

Hampson, Bettridge & Co. Lying Press, Finishing Press, Plough, Tub

Hampson, Bettridge & Co. was a London manufacturer of presses and machines for book making.

Lying Press

The Lying Press is used to hold the book when trimming the pages with the plough or working on gluing the spine. It is also used to work on the book edges.

Finishing Press

The Finishing Press is a smaller screw press with a beveled or chamfered groove to make it easier to work on the spine of the book for decorating.

Plough

The Plough is the mechanism for holding the blade to trim the pages of a book.

Tub

The Tub is the structure or platform upon which the lying press sits.

Press Pin

The Press Pin is the metal bar that is used as a lever for the lying press.

Adana Quarto Horizontal Press

The Adana Quarto Horizontal Press is a small platen press. It could be closed for easier transportation and then opened for setting up for printing. Our Adana has a double roller which would pick up the ink on the circular metal disk and ink the type placed in the center of the press. The paper is held by two metal bars against a plate. When the press is closed by the handle, the paper is pressed against the inked type.

Poco Proof-Press

The Poco Proof-Press was manufactured by Hacker Manufacturing of Chicago. The press is made up of a cylinder and a bed. The type is placed in the bed, and after being inked with a brayer, the paper is placed on the cylinder form. As the cylinder rotates, the paper comes into contact with the type, printing the item.

Miller & Richard Inking Table

This type foundry was originally started by William Miller in 1809 in Edinburgh, Scotland. By 1825, the company had become the type founders for His Majesty of Scotland. In 1838, Miller was joined by his son-in-law, Walter Richard, and the company became known as Miller & Richard. The foundry ultimately closed in 1952.

Reid Linotype Magazine Rack

The William Reid Company was located at 537 So. LaSalle St. Chicago and later at 2271 Clybourn Ave, Chicago, IL. It was started in 1912 to manufacturer items for users of the Linotype and Intertype machines. Our Reid Linotype Magazine Rack holds six Linotype magazines.