Press, Offset

Object number92.53.3

Manufacturer The Chandler & Price Company

Date1930-1939

MediumIron; Steel, Other metals; Wood; Rubber; Paint; Electric motor

Credit LineGift of Estate of Thomas Pears III and Davis & Ward Inc.

DescriptionBlack offset press with vertical lever on left side with wooden grip.Dimensions61.9999 x 51.9999 x 61.9999 in. (157.5 x 132.1 x 157.5 cm)
Historical NotesVandercook Proof PressLabel TextThe Vandercook Proof Press produced in the 1930s was used to check typesetting and produce a print for customer approval before it moved onto the larger jobbing platen. This press is hand powered by lever, and is inked and hand fed paper in much the same way as the C&P press. After it was ordered and laid out, type was set in metal frames called chases and held in place by small wooden blocks called furniture. Lining the walls in specialized “furniture cabinets”, the small wooden blocks were used to create spacing and margins as well. Smaller spacing material called leads(smaller than 6 points), or slugs(6 to 18 points) were used to create lines between letters, lines and paragraphs. Metal pieces called Keys were added last to further tighten the layout and secure lettering. This particular press belonged to Thomas Pear III, who inherited the business of printing from his father. Pear worked with Davis &Warde, Downtown Typographers and Printers in Pittsburgh, to produce over 100 fine and rare books. Pear started printing at age 14, when he wrote and published his own newspaper, “The Park Place Herald”. Pear confided to the Post-Gazette in an interview that favorite task was selecting a type face that most accurately conveyed the meaning of the words being printed. “Its future,” pear commented, “will only be for hobbyists, (and) museums…”

Previous owner Pears Print Shop

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