University of Kentucky: Margaret I. King Library. The King Library Press, 179 Funkhouser Drive, Lexington 40506.
Philip Gaskell (1956, p 173 (USA18)) states: “Modified Blaeu hose, head bolts, ratchet girth winch, without guide boards.” He notes: “Imported from Europe in 1955 by Dr. Victor Hammer. Although it was sent to Lexington from Vienna, Austria, it is closely similar to I 1 and D 1 (qq.v.), especially in the ‘Italian’ pattern of the hose, and it may have come originally from Italy.”
Frans Janssen states (2004, p 284): “A press dated 1818, now in the Biblioteca Laurenziana in Florence, served as the model for two replicas: one in Eltville, Germany, one – built by Victor Hammer around 1925 – in the University of Kentucky, Lexington.” Note 32 adds: “Gaskell’s identifications are corrected by Conor Fahy.” [See Fahy, 1999, p 14]
Website: “In 1958 the press was enabled by gifts from friends to acquire one of Victor Hammer’s wooden common presses originally used at the Stamperia del Santuccio in Florence.”
Website: “First, we acquired the wooden press. To support the work of Victor Hammer in Lexington, a group of friends established a fund to purchase books for the library, and they also acquired the press. It was Victor’s first press, built in Florence in 1927, and shipped over from Vienna after Victor came to Lexington. The model for it was the wooden press in the Laurentian Library in Florence, said by the curator to be the Raimondi Press. Ezio Pratese and two assistants constructed the press based on drawings Victor had made. They used parts of an old oak wine press, and had another craftsman turn on his lathe the steel spindle. With this press, Victor established the Stamperia del Santuccio in Florence.” (1992)
Aricle: Burton Milward (1992).
Video ‘King Library Press’ (04:20).
