Our 1936 Webendorfer is one of the earliest surviving 4-color offset presses. It was donated to The Printing Museum by H. Coleman Norris of Milwaukee, WI, whose family business, Columbian Artworks, used the press to print the popular Success Calendars for many years.

Orville Dutro of Pasadena invented the first web offset press in 1931, which was used for many years to print Challenge butter. John Webendorfer, famous for the American Type Founders (ATF) line of Chief presses, perfected web offset in 1933 with the introduction of his first 4-color press.

Weighing in at 30,000 pounds, the 1936 Webendorfer press represents the largest printing press on display in the museum’s main gallery. The press has been carefully restored.