Glenn FleishmanAt an antiques mall, I encountered a piece of Hamilton Mfg. Co. furniture I’ve never seen before. It didn’t seem type-related, because it was flat wood. Metal or stones are typically used for type galleys.
One of the staffers tried to help me find more information, but we were stymied. I took more photos and did more research to discover this was a rack of press boards used in book binding.
The metal rim on four side is screwed in to help reduce warping. The boards are used when putting a book in a nipping press on top and bottom of a bound and glued book with the lip in the space between spine and book cover with a case bound (hard cover) book.
Also at the mall I bought a piece of family history cheaply. My family sold furniture at retail for three generations. We sold an awful lot of Hitchcock. But it is not our style and it didn’t get preserved in the family. This stenciled board is from the back of a desk. I’ll hang it in the house.
