The most significant presses held at Winterbourne are described below. These are all in regular use.

Cope & Sherwin Imperial Iron Press, London, 1837

This flat-bed press, first manufactured in 1828, works on the same principle as Gutenberg’s fifteenth-century wooden press. The type is laid on a horizontal bed, and downward pressure is applied to create an impression on the paper.

Crown Arab Press, Halifax, 1911

The Arab press was patented in 1872 by Josiah Wade. The type is mounted vertically, and the foot-operated treadle presses it against the paper in a ‘clam shell’ motion. The Arab was delivered in parts as a flat pack, and was exported across the globe. Sir Ernest Shackleton took one on his Antarctic expedition in 1907, so that the crew could produce their own magazine.

Thompson ‘Gem’ Proofing Press, Manchester, 1930s

T.C. Thompson & Sons of Manchester made a variety of printing presses. The ‘Gem’ proofing press was designed to pull off proofs prior to setting up a job on a larger machine. The type is mounted horizontally, and the impression is created by a hand-operated roller.

Heidelberg Automatic Platen Press, 1968

This press was donated by the family of Basil Rhodes, who ran a small press in Oldham. It uses air suction to pick up the paper. It is superbly engineered and functions much faster than the hand-operated presses.