05/29/2024
We made a pilgrimage in April up to Letterpress Things in Chicopee, MA. I was able to meet John Barrett, a legend of the modern letterpress world, who has been running this shop and providing letterpress printing presses, parts, type, and accessories to the community for decades. Unfortunately, due to real estate issues, they have had to move the shop and are working on the significant task of transferring a large (and unimaginably heavy) collection of letterpress materials to a new location.
The main purpose of the trip was to pick up a large 22"x30" bed Reynolds Printasign Duplicator proofing press that I have been working on restoring (seen in the last picture, as picked up in all its, dusty, rusty, disassembled glory). I put in a modest bid in an auction they were having and, to my surprise, won it and then had to figure out the logistics of picking it up and moving it.
I'd also like to give a huge thanks to , who has a similar model Printasign press and who graciously provided detailed measurements, photos, and information that helped plan the move. There isn't much information about these presses available online, but this one is wonderful with a lot of very nice little details and features, and I'm looking forward to sharing some photos and videos of the restoration process and of the press as I use it.
