An expertly restored 1857 Imperial Press owned by Tony Wolf & Son has been generously loaned by Ian Wolf for display at the Penrith Printing Museum.
Manufactured in England and imported into Australia in the late 1850s, the historic press was used by the Wimmera Mail Times in Victoria until 1974.
Traded to settle a debt, it was later discovered in derelict condition at an antique dealer in Horsham, Victoria, in 2002.
The press was acquired by well-known industry figure Barry Toombs, who restored it before selling it to Ian Wolf’s father.
In May, the Penrith Printing Museum presented a striking showcase of operational historic printing machines at PacPrint in Sydney.
The exhibit was proudly presented by volunteers from the Penrith Museum of Printing, offering a nostalgic contrast to the cutting-edge technology on show.
Among the standouts, was a working replica of a 1770 wooden Common Press followed by a cast iron 1843 Columbian Press which was used to print the Carcoar Chronicle while the same model press used to print the weekly editions of the Sydney Morning Herald in the 1800s.
A foot treadle operated Platen Press and a hand operated desktop Platen press circa late 1800s were also demonstrated. Also featured were type cases, a Ludlow line casting machine circa 1940 and examples of composed formes of posters, press ready.
On display was a two-volume reproduction of the Gutenberg Bible as well as early editions of the Sydney Morning Herald, the Land and Bulletin Magazines as well as samples of meticulously hand engraved wooden printing blocks featuring a variety of images.
The Penrith Printing Museum is in the grounds of Penrith Paceway, corner of Mulgoa Road and Ransley Street, Penrith, NSW and is open to the public every Sunday from 10am-2pm.
Comment below to have your say on this story.
If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@sprinter.com.au.
Sign up to the Sprinter newsletter
