Surviving Liberty Presses

Information presented in the following is based upon postings to the Letterpress E-mail Discussion List (mainly one by Erik Desmyter on Nov 24, 2001) plus other research. LetPress messages are referenced by author and date.

Owner / Location Model Serial No. Further Information
The Farmers' Museum
Cooperstown, New York, USA
610  Ted Shuart (Oct 22, 2004)
Likely built in early 1860s
The Farmers' Museum
Ed Regan
Rensselaer, Indiana, USA
  728  from Erik Desmyter
Private collection
Oklahoma, USA
  1156  from Erik Desmyter
Federal State Museum of Hesse
Darmstadt, Germany
1518  Detailed report
Likely built in 1860s
Federal State Museum of Hesse
Private collection
Oklahoma, USA
  1589  from Erik Desmyter
International Printing Museum
Carson, California, USA
  1638  from Erik Desmyter
International Printing Museum
David Carpenter
Warsaw, Missouri, USA
2 2194  1860 patent only
David Carpenter (May 8, 2008)
Haliburton Highlands Museum
upper Ontario, Canada
  6140  from Erik Desmyter
Hailburton Highlands Museum
Mystic Seaport Museum
Mystic, Connecticut, USA
  6293  "Degener & Weiler / New York & London"
Detailed report
Likely built between 1874 - 1877
Mystic Seaport Museum
Bob Oldham
Doswell, Virginia, USA
2A  6706  "Degener & Weiler / New York & London"
Detailed report
Bob Oldham (May 19, 2005)
Likely built between 1874 - 1877
International Printing Museum
Carson, California, USA
  6918  "Degener & Weiler / New York & London"
from Erik Desmyter
International Printing Museum
Bowne & Co. Stationers, South Street Seaport Museum
New York, New York, USA
    Steve Sax (Oct 30, 1996)
Erik Desmyter (Oct 24, 2004)
South Street Seaport Museum
Göta Svensson
Holmsund, Sweden
8173  "F.M.Weiler / New York"
from Göta Svensson
Private collection
France
  8210  "F.M.Weiler / New York"
from Erik Desmyter
Deutsches Technikmuseum
Berlin, Germany
  8546  from Erik Desmyter
Deutsches Technikmuseum (German Museum of Technology)
History San Jose
San Jose, California, USA
8574  Detailed report
Likely built between 1877 - 1881
History San Jose Print Shop
Patrick Goossens
Antwerp, Belgium
  8739  from Erik Desmyter
Druckereimuseum "Benary-Speicher"
Erfurt, Germany
  8826  Detailed report
Druckereimuseum "Benary-Speicher"

Germany
  8853  Offered in a Nov 25, 2006, auction
Paul Aken
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
2A  8950  Detailed report
Likely built between 1877 - 1881
Father Miguel O'Reilly House
St. Augustine, Florida, USA
  8965  from Erik Desmyter
Father Miguel O'Reilly House Museum
Private Collection
Belgium
  9003  from Erik Desmyter
Muzeum In ynierii Miejskiej w Krakowie
Cracow, Poland
  9090  Picture by Martyn Kramek
Muzeum In ynierii Miejskiej w Krakowie
Private Collection
Belgium
  9118  from Erik Desmyter
Plombe et Encre
Chavannes-près-Renens (near Lausanne), Switzerland
  10059  from John Cornelisse
Association d'Encre et de Plomb
Kulturhuef (Musées Arts Cinéma)
Grevenmacher, Luxembourg
  10221  Picture from Monika Jakobs
Kulturhuef (Musées Arts Cinéma)
Heritage Museum
Libby, Montana, USA
10354  J. Mike Powers (Apr 23, 1999 and Nov 23, 2001)
Heritage Museum
Tempo Srl
Belluno, Italy
10415  Detailed report
Likely built between 1877 - 1881
Museum for the Printing Arts
Leipzig, Germany
  10424  "F.M.Weiler / New York"
Museum for the Printing Arts
HIRGO (Hoger Instituut voor Grafische Opleiding)
Gent, Belgium
  11883  "F.M.Weiler / Berlin / New York"
Erik Desmyter (Aug 5, 2001)
Royal Library's Museum of Book Printing
Brussels, Belgium
  11897  Detailed report
Royal Library
Erik Desmyter
Gent, Belgium
2A 12274  "F.M.Weiler / Berlin / New York"
Erik Desmyter (Aug 5, 2001)
Briar Press On-Line Press Museum
Niall Cook
United Kingdom
13171  "F.M.Weiler / Berlin / New York"
Niall Cook (Apr 27, 1999)
Drukkerijmuseum Strobbe
Izegem, Belgium
  13263  Detailed report
Private Collection
Belgium
  13952  from Erik Desmyter
Private collection
Belgium
  14442  from Erik Desmyter
Bibliotheque Universitaire Moretus Plantin
Namur, Belgium
  14463  from Erik Desmyter
Museum of Industrial Archaeology and Textile (MIAT)
Gent, Belgium
  14525  Detailed report
Museum of Industrial Archaeology and Textile
Herwig Kempenaers
Turnhout, Belgium
2A 14631  Detailed report
Historische Drukkerij Turnhout
Private Collection
Belgium
  14697  from Erik Desmyter
Private collection
Belgium
  14923  from Erik Desmyter
Private Collection
Belgium
  15290  from Erik Desmyter
Genadendalse Drukkery/Printing Works
Genadendalse, South Africa
    from Helen Evans
Genadendal Mission Station

The following are Liberty-like presses made by other manufacturers:
Owner / Location Manufacturer Further Information
Kner Printing Industry Museum
Gyoma, Hungary
J. Anger and Son
Vienna, Austria
Detailed report
Erik Desmyter (Jul 11, 2004)
Books from the Gyomai Kner Press exhibit
Museum of Industrial Archaeology and Textile (MIAT)
Gent, Belgium
Henri Jullien
Brussels, Belgium
YouTube video
Museum of Industrial Archaeology and Textile

If you come across a Liberty press or can provide further information on the ones listed here, please let me know. Here are some tips on how to identify a Liberty press.


Main Liberty press page.


Page created by Dave Tribby
Last modified January 1, 2009