General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

IRON CASTINGS/ BRASS MFR'S PLATE (USUA. LEAD BACKED)

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

63.5 cm

Width

101.5 cm

Height

221.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Bookbinding

Category

Casing-in

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Westman Baker

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

City

Toronto

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

THIS IS A VERY COMMONSTYLE OF STANDING PRESS, THE DESIGN PROBABLY HAVING BEEN 'BORROWED' FROM AN AMERICAN PATTERN, HOWEVER MFRS. WERE PERHAPS THE ONLY REGISTERED MFR'S OF SUCH PRESSES IN THE 19TH & PERHAPS EVEN THE 20TH CENTURIES.

Function

FOR COMPRESSING BOOKS AFTER ASSEMBLY. BASICALLY TO 'FLATTEN' BOOKS AFTER FINISHING THEREBY PROVIDING 'SOLIDITY' TO VOLUMES BY COMPRESSING PAGES, SMOOTHING COVERS, ETC.

Technical

A MANUAL STYLE OF STANDING PRESS EMPLOYING A 'SPIDER' AND IRON LEVER TO OBTAIN PRESSURE ON THE PLATEN. PRESSING WAS DONE BEFORE SEWING IN HAND BOUND BOOKS & AFTER IT IN MACHINE SEWN VOLUMES. PRESSING BROUGHT THE LEAVES IN PERFECT CONTACT EVEN TO THE EXTENT OF CAUSING THE GRAIN OF THE PAPER TO FIT TOGETHER (2). THIS WAS NOT A DESIRABLE FEATURE ON SOME SPECIAL PAPERS & COULD ALSO CAUSE 'OFF-SETTING' ON OTHERS. PRESSING IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR HALF-BOUND BOOKS SO THAT THE JOINS OF THE LEATHER & SIDING MATERIAL ARE FLATTENED & 'MERGE'. STANDING PRESSES WERE ALSO USED TO OBTAIN A DESIRED FINISH ON GRAIN LEATHER COVERS. SINCE PRESSING IS GENERALLY DONE OVER A PERIOD OF DAYS OR EVEN WEEKS, THE VOLUMES WILL DRY OUT (AFTER THE DAMPENING EFFECT OF THE BINDING PROCESS) UNDER PRESSURE SO THAT THE FORM ACQUIRED DURING PRESSING IS PERMANENT.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

BRASS MFR'S PLATE READS: 'WESTMAN & BAKER/ MAKERS/ TORONTO, ONT./ J.I. JOHNSTON/ AGENT'

Missing

COMPLETE WITH BOARDS & LEVER BAR From CA of 10/13/1994 by Tony Missio: No - Complete

Finish

PAINTED BLACK ORIGINALLY, HOWEVER ORIGINAL SURFACE IN POOR CONDITION. MFR'S USED A BLUE FILLER TO SMOOTH OUT THE CASTINGS AND THIS SHOWS THROUGH WHERE THE SURFACE PAINT HAS WORN OFF.

Decoration

N/A