Printing Museums — Old World Craft Lives On

The Cary Collection graphic arts library and digital image database is maintained at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, NY. While boasting an array of printed product with historical significance, the Cary Collection also has its share of printing equipment.

The Arthur M. Lowenthal Memorial Room at RIT houses letterpress equipment and a type composition workshop. Among the hardware: A Columbian hand press from 1876; an 1850s vintage Taylor Washington press; a Model 3 platen press from J.W. Daughaday & Co.; and an Albion press from London-based Salisbury. Of more recent vintage (1960s) is an original Heidelberg Windmill platen press.