This is part two of a three part
conversation series on the famous Kelmscott/Goudy Press. The K/G was
once used by William Morris at his Kelmscott press, and is now found
at the Cary Collection at RIT.
1. What did you enjoy most about
restoring the Kelmscott/Goudy Press?
As with any of the historic presses in
the Cary, I enjoy the process of giving an historic printing press a
new useful life. While working on a press I always picture the
finished press, how it will be used to teach, and what projects and
programming we can design around it.
I admit that the restoration of the K-G
was a bit nerve-wracking. I was hyper-aware that many great designers
and publishers used it. I recognized that the press was responsible
for bringing The Kelmscott Chaucer, one of the most beautiful books
in history, to publication. It would be disappointing to many people
if the press did not print well after my best effort in repairing it.
I am so lucky that these machines are actually quite simple, and that
I have a lot of connections with experts who could give me good
advice on fixing the press. That the K-G finally prints well is the
best reward in being associated with its restoration.
2. How does this press compare to other
presses?
The Kelmscott-Goudy Albion iron hand
press is the third Albion type model printing press to join the Cary
Collection. It is the one with the most illustrious provenance,
having been owned by William Morris, Frederic Goudy, Melbert Cary,
Jr., and the founder of the American Printing History Association, J.
Ben Lieberman. However, one of our other Albions was also in Frederic
Goudy’s shop, so the K-G is reuniting with a companion in its
history. (Incidentally those two Albions came to the Cary via
American wood-engraver, John DePol, so cumulatively these three
presses printed some amazing work!)
The K-G is the youngest of the three
Albions, having been manufactured in 1891. It is also the most
puzzling in terms of its design. The K-G is not as elegant in its
engineering and manufacture in a few ways as its older prototypes.
For example, the platen-raising spring in the top finial is connected
to the main impression piston via two beautifully-engraved, but
materially weak, brass plates. The older Albions neatly conceal this
connection in the internal housing of the piston, and they use
steel-to-steel linkages, which are technically stronger and in
theory, superior.
Also, I am curious why the K-G has a
rough surface finish when compared to the other Albions, which are
smooth cast iron. I believe Hopkinson & Cope, (its manufacturer),
did not take the last step to buff out the pocked surface left by
sand-casting its iron frame.
Finally, the K-G has two 4-foot-high
iron straps along each side of its staple or frame. Supposedly, these
were added so the press would not torque under the stress of printing
the large engravings in The Kelmscott Chaucer. They make the K-G look
a bit cobbled together. I hope to some day address all of these
questions through continuing research. But regardless of these minor
flaws, it still prints beautifully.
3. Do you have a favorite historical
press?
Can I say they are all my favorites? I
know that is avoiding the question, but each press in the Cary is
there because it represents some milestone in the engineering of how
a printing impression was made: from flat-bed hand press to platen
press to cylinder press. We can teach the gamut of 500 years of
printing history by showing how these mechanisms work.
It would be politic to say that the K-G
is my favorite because I took it apart and put it back together, and
because I’m linked now to that famous lineage. I am so proud of the
work I did on it. However, I am also very interested in platen
presswork that succeeded the hand press era. I am even involved right
now with a group of RIT engineering students who are designing a 21st
century platen press with modern materials. One goal of this work is
that enthusiasts would not a have to rely on restoring vintage
presses to print letterpress. That opens the field to prospective
printers!
4. What is most challenging about
assisting artists, such as Lee-Davis, with their projects on the
press? Most rewarding?
I have to educate any potential user
of the K-G to expect that hand press printing is deliberate and
time-consuming. You must be fastidious in how the press is set-up
before printing and be aware of such small adjustments in impression,
paper dampness, dwell time, and registration in order for the prints
to come out perfectly. Sometimes artists prefer immediacy in their
creation process—hand press printing does not offer that!
Steven Lee-Davis was already a
meticulous wood-engraver before he worked with us, so he knew what to
expect in terms of the printing process. I was so pleased with
facilitating his vision and making the K-G print a beautiful image
worthy of its grand legacy.
Amelia Hugill-Fontanel
Associate Curator
RIT Cary Graphic Arts Collection
For more information: See this video,
where Hugill-Fontanel walks viewers through the printing process.
Image, Top: Amelia Hugill-Fontanel sets up the Kelmscott-Goudy Press for printing at its dedication. RIT Cary Graphic Arts Collection, October 9, 2014. (Image by A. Sue Weisler.)
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