Colts Armory Universal jobber
date: label: Date made
content: circa 1886
label: date made
content: ca 1886
name: label: maker
content: Colt’s Armory
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: The platen jobber, with parallel impression mechanism, was made by the Colts Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company in Hartford, in about 1886. It includes some broken parts. Its chase measures 7 inches by 11 inches.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The Colts press derives from a patent awarded to Merritt Gally in 1869 for a motion that gave the platen a true parallel approach to the bed. Gally’s press, the original Universal, was produced for him by John Thomson at the Colts Armory plant in Hartford, Connecticut. In about 1885 Gally and Thomson separated. Thomson began producing his own version of the press, citing his patent of 1886 and naming his press the Colts Armory press.
label: Description (Brief)
content: This specimen, with open sides, was one of Thomson’s early models. Later and larger presses included heavier frames with continuous sides. The Colts Armory-style presses were well designed and built, and had a reputation for excellence.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Purchased in 1985.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Citation: Elizabeth Harris, "Printing Presses in the Graphic Arts Collection," 1996.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Connecticut, Hartford
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Graphic Arts
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content: Communications
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content: Printing Presses in the Graphic Arts Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1985.0559.03
label: accession number
content: 1985.0559
label: catalog number
content: 1985.0559.03
label: catalog number
content: 1985.0559.03
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Press, Printing
label: Object Name
content: printing press
label: Other Terms
content: Press, Printing; Platen Jobber
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 42 1/4 in x 35 in x 34 3/4 in; 107.315 cm x 88.9 cm x 88.265 cm