This bench-top Albion No. 1930 was made by Hopkinson and Cope of London in 1845. Its wooden stand is original. The press has a height of 38 inches a width, at the cheeks, of 19 inches and a length of 38 inches. The stand measures 27 inches high and 33.5 inches long; the platen measures 9.5 inches by 15 inches. The press is marked on the frame, bar, and brass sleeve with “Hopkinson & Cope, Finsbury London,” “No. 1930 1845,” and “Patent No 2289.” It is stamped in various places “Patent,” with a crown.
The Albion was an English press invented by Richard Whittaker Cope of London. The date of the invention is not known, but the first record of the press dates from 1822, when some Albions were imported into France. The Albion had a different form of toggle levers from American presses, and a large spring on top of the press for the return of the platen. Presumably the name “Albion”—a poetic name describing the island of Great Britain—was chosen in response to the Columbian, which had recently arrived from America. The Albion was advertised as being lighter and less bulky than rival, English iron presses, such as the Stanhope. It had ample power, particularly in the smaller sizes, and became the most popular hand press in Great Britain, as the Washington came to be in the United States.
At Richard Cope’s death, in about 1830, his company was taken over
by John Hopkinson working under J. & J. Barrett, trustees of Cope’s estate. For ten years all three names were cast into the press, but after 1840 the style became simply “Hopkinson & Cope.” Hopkinson introduced some improvements, notably the modification of the toggle form and the addition of the word “Patent” (a claim apparently without foundation). By mid-century there were several other makers using Hopkinson’s improved toggles. Albions were made in Great Britain continuously until as late as 1940.
Albions were not regularly imported into the United States until the twentieth century, when they were brought in by collectors.
Donated by Jack Murphy, 1991.
Citation: Elizabeth Harris, "Printing Presses in the Graphic Arts Collection," 1996.
The image shown here represents El Santo Niño de Atoche, a depiction of the Christ child common throughout Mexico and the American Southwest. Made by Rafael Aragón in Santa Fe, this particular image is from a retablo, a kind of Catholic devotional art. Aragón came from a family of santeros (religious artisans) who worked during the golden age of Spanish colonial art in New Mexico in the first part of the 1800s. In isolated communities where there were few priests, religious art within the home played a huge role in promoting Catholic beliefs and maintaining religious faith. When this retablo was made, between 1840 and 1850, New Mexico was the most populated region of Mexico's northern territories. Its ancient colonial history was shaped by violent contests over land, trade, and religion between Spanish settlers and various indigenous communities. The exchanges between these peoples, and then later, between immigrants from Mexico and the eastern United States, created several unique cultures in New Mexico. The phenomenon of tourism, beginning in the late 1800s, further transformed New Mexico and its art and craft traditions. Santeros and other artisans are still producing religious images like this retablo, though today many are valued for decorative rather than devotional use.
Description (Spanish)
Esta imagen representa a El Santo Niño de Atocha, un retrato del Niño Jesús muy habitual a lo largo de México y el sudoeste americano. Esta imagen en particular, elaborada por Rafael Aragón en Santa Fe, pertenece a un retablo, una manifestación del arte religioso católico. Aragón provenía de una familia de santeros (artesanos religiosos) que trabajaron durante la época dorada del arte colonial español en el Nuevo México a principios del 1800. En aquellas comunidades aisladas donde había tan solo unos pocos sacerdotes, el arte religioso doméstico desempeñaba una función preponderante para el fomento de las creencias católicas y la conservación de la fe. Este retablo data del período entre 1840 y 1850, en que Nuevo México era la región más poblada de los territorios del norte de México. Su antigua historia colonial se forjó entre violentas competencias por la tierra, el comercio y la religión entre los colonos españoles y las distintas comunidades indígenas. Los intercambios entre estos pueblos, y más tarde entre inmigrantes de México y del este de los Estados Unidos, generaron diversas culturas únicas dentro de Nuevo México. El fenómeno turístico, que se inició a fines de los 1800, transformó más aún a Nuevo México y a sus tradiciones artísticas y artesanales. Los santeros y otros artesanos aún producen imágenes religiosas como este retablo, si bien hoy en día muchas de ellas se valoran por sus cualidades decorativas más que por sus connotaciones religiosas.
This mortar and pestle were used to grind coffee beans after they were dried and roasted. Coffee was a major cash crop in Puerto Rico, second only to sugar. It grows well in the low mountains of the island, like the fertile area around the town of Yauco in the southwest. In the 19th century many Corsicans settled in this region and played a significant role in developing the island's coffee economy, both as growers and exporters.
Description (Spanish)
El pilón se usaba para machacar los granos de café una vez secos y tostados. El café constituía un cultivo comercial de gran relevancia en Puerto Rico, el segundo en importancia después del azúcar. Se da bien en las montañas bajas de la isla, como por ejemplo en la zona fértil alrededor de la ciudad de Yauco, en el sudoeste. Durante el siglo XIX se establecieron en esta región muchos colonos oriundos de Córcega, quienes desempeñaron un papel esencial en el desarrollo de la economía de la isla en torno al café, impulsando tanto la producción como la exportación.
Based on lore and church documents, this figure illustrates the Miracle of Hormigueros. In 1599, Our Lady of Montserrat appeared to Gerardo González, a farmer near Hormigueros in southwestern Puerto Rico. Attacked by a bull, González invoked the name of the Virgin. Immediately, the beast fell, its legs broken and its forehead touching the ground as if in prayer. In gratitude, González built and dedicated a church to Our Lady of Montserrat. This figure dates from the beginning of the 19th century.
Description (Spanish)
Esta figura describe el Milagro de Hormigueros basándose en la tradición y documentación de la iglesia. En 1599 la Virgen de Montserrate se le apareció a Gerardo González, un granjero, cerca de Hormigueros, en el suroeste de Puerto Rico. Se cuenta que González fue atacado por un toro e invocó el nombre de la Virgen, luego de lo cual la bestia se desplomó de inmediato con las patas quebradas y la frente apoyada en el suelo como en posición de plegaria. En agradecimiento, González construyó una iglesia y se la dedicó a la Virgen de Montserrate. Esta figura data de principios del siglo XIX.