Discussing Johannes Gutenberg for National Inventors Day (February 11)

February 11th is National Inventors’ Day! In honor of today, Howard discusses the person most people think of for inventing printing, Johannes Gutenberg. While Johannes Gutenberg is credited with inventing a means to letterpress print using movable type in the 1440s, he did not invent printing. Printing was invented about 400 years prior in China by Bi Sheng. Gutenberg’s modifications to printing and his design for a printing press would revolutionize how people obtained information in Europe. Printing on a wooden common press was standard until 1800 with the invention of an all iron press by Lord Charles Stanhope. Speaking of iron presses, our Washington hand press was manufactured in Cincinnati, Ohio by the Charles Foster & Brother Company in 1852. The Washington hand press became the most popular iron hand press in the United States from the 1820s to the 1860s. The Washington hand press was invented by Samuel Rust during the 1820s. Rust’s patent of 1821 covered the figure-4 toggle lever mechanism for pressing the platen onto the form on the bed of the press. Rust’s second patent of 1829 covered a new cast iron frame with hollow columns enclosing wrought iron rods. This is the frame and lever mechanism for our hand press. #printingpress