The Pump House Press is a new branch of Turtleback Press and specializes in high-quality print from an antique 1903 Pearl treadle-operated letterpress.

The press was found in Canada and shipped to its new location in a remodeled pump house on the Turtleback farm. Old letter cases and cabinets pieces where discovered for sale at the Oregon College of Arts and Crafts and driven back to the farm.

The floor-standing Pearl is a clamshell. The two parts of the shell in the middle are operated by a foot-powered treadle.

The tiny lead type letters are taken from the case and placed into a form. Ink is applied to a round ink disc, a characteristic feature of this press. The roller passes over the plate and the letters are inked.

The treadle sets the large heavy-rimmed flywheel into motion and regulates the opening and closing action of the clamshell while the operator hand feeds the paper. The ink is transferred to the paper and one copy of one page is printed.

The Pearl was developed shortly before the Civil War and was the workhorse of the first half of the twentieth century. Later, powered line shafts and individual motors came to replace the treadles.

For more information on the history of the letterpress and the private press movement:

Letterpress Resources

History of the Pearl Letterpress

Letterpress Museum

Look for the Pump House Press logo on books published by Turtleback Press.