THE ALBION PRESS

Albion Presses were an early metal hand press that originated in England in the 1820s. Albion’s main competitor was another metal hand press that had been invented about 10 years earlier: the Columbian. In many ways, Albion and Columbian presses were polar opposites. The Columbian was invented by an American, George Clymer, and the Albion was invented by an Englishman, Richard Whitaker Cope. The Columbian was covered in eccentric, colorful decorations while the Albion had a simpler, more minimalistic appearance. The decorations on the Columbian, like the bald eagle and Lady Columbia, were dripping with American symbolism. By contrast, the sparse decorations on the Albion had a classical bend and tended to include columns, claw feet, urns, and coats of arms. Even mechanically the two presses were functionally distinct.

A few mysteries surround the life of R.W. Cope. Some records indicate that Cope that might have gotten his start in the industry manufacturing Columbians with Clymer in England. If true, it is an interesting twist that Cope went on to found a rival company. There is also speculation that R.W. Cope may have been connected to another lesser-known English hand press called the Imperial. The Imperial, which was remarkably similar in its design to the Albion, was manufactured by the team of J. Sherwin and J. Cope. While scholars have yet to find a definitive connection between R.W. Cope and J. Cope, it does seem like an unlikely coincidence that two unrelated Copes would both be manufacturing iron hand presses at the same time in the same region.

By the time Cope passed away, the Albion had come out on top of its competitor. It became the dominant iron hand press in England, in part because it was faster to operate and easier to repair than the Columbian. John Hopkinson took over the business after Cope’s death. He continued to modify and improve the design of the press and the Albion’s popularity spread. Different models of the press were manufactured by different countries across Europe during the 1850s and 60s and it was imported worldwide. Its popularity was so enduring that in the 1980s the Ullmer Company manufactured a brand-new tabletop Albion. Beyond its widespread appeal, the Albion also had a legacy in England’s Private Press movement. Most notably, it was the press of choice for Kelmscott Press and Doves Press.

The museum is home to a number of different Albion presses that span many decades, sizes, and manufacturers. A few are on view on the mezzanine next to our 1950s Print Shop.