Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-xxrs7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-28T09:45:28.828Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
This chapter is part of a book that is no longer available to purchase from Cambridge Core

6 - Writing Textual Materiality: Charles Clark, his Books and his Bookplate Poem

Carrie Griffin
Affiliation:
Queen Mary University of London
Mary O'connell
Affiliation:
University College Cork
Get access

Summary

In 1828 the 22 November edition of the Mechanics' Magazine reported on the invention of a new portable printing press. The inventor, Mr Charles Clark of Great Totham in Essex, wrote to describe his machine and the motivation behind its construction. Confessing that after his first ‘peep into a printing office’ he felt surprise at the relative simplicity of the press, he set about producing a smaller version which would be made of cheaper materials. The illustration Clark sent to accompany his letter shows a machine of about 6 ft in length. The platten, measuring fifteen by ten inches, and the table holding the type, were both made from highly polished stone; the rest of the press was made from elm wood. The editor of the magazine includes a note supporting Clark's assertions that the impressions produced by his machine were ‘fully’ equal to the Colombian or Stanhope Press. Clark describes the two chief recommendations of his portable press as the ease of use, even for someone unacquainted with printing, and the affordability: thirty shillings in comparison to £25 for a press of similar size. The letter concludes with Clark's hope that his invention would be of interest to people who would take pleasure in ‘printing little trifles for their own convenience or amusement’ he cites the example of William Cowper who owned a bellows press and was described by his biographer as a ‘printer as well as a writer of poetry’.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Pickering & Chatto
First published in: 2014

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×