First published in 1888, A Practical Treatise upon Modern Printing Machinery and Letterpress Printing by Wilson and Grey remains an important work for those interested in the Victorian mechanisation of printing. They list, with illustrations, all the different machines in use in the printing trade, in England and abroad. They outline the development of printing from the early hand presses, and discuss in detail the strengths and weaknesses of the different machines then in use. Information is provided on manufacturers and specifications of the multitude of machinery available for all stages of the printing and publishing process. The book contains valuable information on the development of colour printing, and covers book and newspaper printing as well as the needs of small jobbing firms. It will be of interest to historians of printing and publishing, printers, engineers and industrial archaeologists.
Part I: 1. Historical; 2. Various motions and mechanical contrivances, peculiar to or used in printing machines; 3. One-sided stopping-cylinder machines; 4. The tumbler or main machine; 5. The two-colour machines; 6. The two-feeder single-cylinder machine; 7. The double platen; 8. Perfecting machines; 9. The Anglo-French machine; Part II: 10. Modern newspaper printing machines; 11. The Walter rotary machine; 12. Hoe's rotary machine; 13. The Victory rotary; 14. The Marinoni rotary machine; 15. The Foster rotary web (type, stereo, and bill) machines; 16. The Bullock press - The Northumbrian press - Farmer's web printing machine; 17. The Wharfedale rotary machine - The Whitefriars - The Jules Derriey rotary - a rotary hand-press; 18. The 'Illustrated London News' and the Ingram machine - Anglo-American rotary - on stereotyping for rotary machines; 19. On book-work machines; Part III: 20. Practical printing - making ready; 21. On the cutting of the overlay; 22. Rollers - their treatment and manufacture; 23. Paper: its treatment - storage - wetting - rolling - rolling machines; 24. Colour printing; 25. Small jobbing machines; 26. The warehouse; 27. On erecting and driving machines; 28. Power.