Last week I took some photos of the coach houses in the Park Hall, Conwy grounds. While there I noticed an old press. I remember thinking how beautiful it was with the bald eagle and fish embellishments. Out of interest I did a bit of research. To my amazement it turned out to be a rare Colombian Press first built in 1813 by George E. Clymer, . "It was designed to allow a whole newspaper page to be printed in a single pull. The press worked by a lever system, It is sometimes, incorrectly, referred to as the 'Eagle' press due to the characteristic bald eagle counterweight which usually sits on the top lever."
Apparently these presses are in high demand in America and worth in excess of £10,000 in pristine condition. The bald Eagle counterweight alone was sold in Christies, London in 2001 for $3,500.
I didn't want to do a write up on the press until I had first had a word with the Trudy the owner. Just in case in the middle of the night a van turned up and the press was nicked, especially as it would be my fault having featured it on my earlier post. The fascinating point to mention is the rattle snakes entwined on the side of the press which signify the fact this is in fact an original. Later ones were built in the UK but without the rattle snakes.
written by V. C. N. Blight CBE and taken from his publication entitled ‘The Colombian Press’, first published in 1962.
In the United Kingdom most of the embellishments were retained – the New South Wales Government Printing Office Colombian, built in London in 1849, has them all except the rattlesnake – but some manufacturers substituted a globe or a lion standing on a laurel wreath for the eagle.
Trudy is going to restore the press and sell it, with the proceeds going to much needed repairs on Park Hall. The press has now been moved to a much safer location I'm pleased to say.