Owen County: private collection Tom Strassell (location to be confirmed.)
Website (March 16, 2016): “Tom Strassell of Poplar Grove … is a historical reenactor and built a wooden press from plans dated 1585. He demonstrates and displays his historic print shop across the country, and has been a consultant for historic sites and for the PBS special on Andrew Jackson, “Good, Bad, and the Presidency”. Tom is a retired curator of the historic print shop at the Cincinnati Museum Center (= “Gibson & Co. Print Shop”), and has been involved in many different areas of the printing field for 50 years.”
The press is shown at several events. Among which:
• Boon County Public Library (2008). Website: “Tom Strassell is currently curator of the nineteenth century print shop at the Cincinnati Museum Center. He also has a print studio in his home where he reproduces historic documents and teaches classes on the history, culture, and how-to of letterpress printing. His exhibit has been hosted at many national historic sites and museums including Fort Niagara, NY, Mt. Vernon, home of George Washington, and the Indianapolis Children’s Museum. ”
• Patriot Fair (2011). Website (June 15, 2017): “New this year is a working wooden printing press. Tom Strassell will show how printing was done early in our history. Tom has served as a consultant for many historic sites including New Harmony, Indiana.”
• Fair at New Boston (2013). Two video’s are available on youtube: ‘Demonstrating the colonial printing press at the fair at New Boston in Springfield (OH).’ (August 31, 2013) and ‘Fair at New Boston – Printer’ (September 2, 2013).
• Musee de Venoge (June 19, 2017). Website (June15, 2017): “A working wooden printing press will be a new addition to demonstrations this year. Tom Strassell, who has worked as a historic consultant for PBs, will show how early printing was done.”
