A couple months ago, my husband and I drove two and a half hours away to Healdsburg. Then we went off on a dirt road, off the grid, and into the hills to meet Ted Salkin and view his printing press collection. Along the way, I acquired equipment to start printing myself, and gained some guidance and advice about moving forward with my ideas for printing.
If I had known the light in the hills goes down earlier in the day, we would have tried to make it up to his property sooner to have more daylight to view the collection. I hope I will have the opportunity to visit him again. The collection is a treasure, and Mr. Salkin is a wealth of printing knowledge and history.
Below are some photos of the visit and of the equipment that I purchased. The type and type drawers came from a printing press that had closed up shop in Portland, Oregon. It includes lead and wood type. I also purchased a table top press and a Chandler and Price. When the items were delivered, Mr. Salkin had included several books and other useful items.
Throughout the process, he was very professional about the packing, delivery, and unpacking of all of the equipment. He provided advice for storage as well as practical information for me about getting started with the press. (I will have to hire an electrician to help me install a three-speed, variable motor on the C & P before I can use it.)
Of Paper and Ink 