Hopkinson & Cope moving the press

Dusty and neglected, hidden behind lots of other garage stuff, my great iron printing press sat waiting. Given that its only one hundred and seventy years old, a few more years resting in my garage would not be such along time. Heavy with great iron feet, moving it across the patch of grass seem impossible.  The only thing to do was to take her apart, bit by bit until only the main frame stood alone in the garage. Remembering how to put it back would be another problem. My first step was to take as many pictures of the various  parts that made up this great press, my Hopkinson & Cope.

It was love at first sight, standing proud in the main hall of a private museum belonging to Rasmussen Boyd. Boyd's Antiquatorium was a huge building containing  many fine collectables one of which was my Hopkinson & Cope. On arriving in Bundaberg Queensland I approached Mr Boyd about the press  and  asked if he wanted to sell it, the answer was  a stern no. Twenty years later and lots of visits to the museum to admire the press I finally had the opportunity to buy the press. Since that time the press has been moved four times and always using a large crane on a truck, however this time the crane arm would not fit so with the help of a neighbour and a fork lift the main frame has been moved into its new location my studio.