Howard Iron Works a printing museum honouring the history of printing by preserving its legacy - one machine, one artifact at a time. Articles & Knowledge Centre » See All

Our current Collection features an impressive selection of Iron Presses, Cylinders, Platens and Bindery Equipment. In addition, our library also features a collection of vintage printing-related books and technical and trade journals.

The Howard Iron Works Museum and Restoration facility is a lifelong dream of Liana and Nick Howard. The Howards are custodians of Howard Graphic Equipment Ltd., a company that is a leading-edge supplier and rebuilder of printing and converting equipment.

The story of knowledge and of technology is profound and was only exploited by the printing press. The Howard Iron Works celebrates the printed word. But, we go beyond that into the amazing world of printing machinery development itself.

Howard Iron Works is supported by world-class talent in order to restore and present equipment just as it would have been when leaving the original factories. Explore and enjoy the self-directed walk through the printing history - from 1830s to the mid-20th century, And, watch live demos on some of the unique and one-of-a-kind printing presses.

Everything from bed corners and friskets to finials and treadles are made right in the Works. The restoration work at HIW requires more than technical aptitude; it also involves a lot of ingenuity in rebuilding components from scratch.

The restoration of our Vandercook No. 1 press has just been completed. This No. 1 will now join the Vandercook No. 4, and together they proudly stand as the ambassadors representing one of the most prolific American manufacturers of presses at Howard Iron Works Museum.

Save The Date - Print Expo & Fair 2024 We're super excited to announce that the 2024 edition of the Print Expo & Fair is returning to our museum on Saturday, September 28.

Hopkinson & Cope Improved Albion Iron Press - Finsbury, London Age: 1848, Serial No. 2290, Platen size: 17.75" x 24" Demy Richard Cope, an Englishman, designed and built his first press in 1820. It is said that Cope may have worked with George Clymer, the inventor of …

Gordon went on to have both the new and old style platen built, first by others then in his own works in New York City. But by 1901, after Gordon’s death, the business was sold to the Chandler & Price Co. of Cleveland where the old style Gordon was built while the new style was dropped.