Handset Press

Liberty Press
at Darmstadt, Germany

Herwig Kempenaers, a Belgian whose collection of printing equipment includes a Liberty press, visited several German museums during the summer of 2004. He was particularly intrigued with a Liberty press at one of his stops:

"In Darmstadt Haus für Industriekultur they have a wonderful Liberty press!! I will send you the pictures with this mail. It is a very early press."

Details of this Liberty show it is an early model:

It has plate (shown at left) mounted on the counter-weight identifying it as a Liberty No. 2.
The name "Weiler" doesn't appear on the press...only "Degener" on the plate.
The serial number on the crank shaft (shown at right) doesn't have a shield surrounding it.
Based upon the serial number of 1518, the press was likely manufactured between 1863 and 1865.

This press only has the original patent date (April 24, 1860), not the 1870 or 1872 patents.

The Liberty press is located in the "Haus für Industriekultur," a department of the Hessisches LandesMuseum Darmstadt (Federal State Museum of Hesse). The "Haus" is at a different location (Kirschenallee) than the main museum (the Friedensplatz). They have many machines — 7 handpresses (including Stanhope, Columbian, and Dingler), 6 cylinder presses — and really nice people.

Press Identification Summary

Owner:	Federal State Museum of Hesse
Location:	Darmstadt, Germany
Manufacturer:	Fred Otto Degener
Model:	No. 2 (7 x 11 inches)
Serial Number:	1518
Estimated Mfg. Date:	1863 - 1865
Patents:	April 24th 1860
Throw-Off:	No

Thanks to Herwig Kempenaers for providing information used to create this page.

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Liberty Pressat Darmstadt, Germany

Liberty Press
at Darmstadt, Germany