8(J THE ART OF PRINTING. 



creased the means of producing fine impressions, as well as reduced 

 the labour of the workmen ; the first of these inventions was tried at 

 Mr. Buhner's office, Cleveland-row, St. James's. Lord Stanhope did 

 not avail himself of a patent, consequently, he gave great advantage 

 to the constructors of presses on a similar principle. In 1804, his 

 lordship (in conjunction with Mr. Wilson, a printer) revived the 

 stereotype process, and expended a considerable sum in the specula- 

 tion, under the impression that stereotyped works could be sold at a 

 reduced price ; his lordship's expectations were far from being rea- 

 lized, as, in a few years, Mr. Wilson overstocked himself, and ulti- 

 mately abandoned his profession. It is quite uncertain who first 

 invented the process of stereotype ; but we find, that early in the 

 eighteenth century, an eminent goldsmith of London expended a 

 large sum of money in useless experiment; and, in 17'25, the whole of 

 his plates were melted down at the Chis well-street foundry : indeed, 

 we strongly imagine, that stereotype has not been so generally suc- 

 cessful as was at first anticipated by its revivers in 1804. 



But the most astonishing of all modern improvements in the typo- 

 graphical art, was the cylindrical machine for printing the " Times" 

 newspaper. This machine was made in obscurity, under the super- 

 intendance of Mr. Konig, a Saxon ; and after numerous attempts had 

 rendered success nearly hopeless, as well as a considerable sum ex- 

 pended in its construction, the fact was announced in November, 

 1814, that upwards of 2,000 copies of "the leading journal of Eu- 

 rope" had been thrown off in one hour ! At nearly the same time, 

 Mr. T. Bensley had also a cylindrical machine constructed, at an ex- 

 pense, it is said, of upwards of 10,000. These machines were sub- 

 sequently simplified and improved by Mr. Cowper, an Englishman, 

 who discarded upwards of forty-three wheels, and rendered the 

 operation still more expeditious. The great success which attended 

 those efforts induced several engineers and others to turn their atten- 

 tion to the subject ; so that, in a short time, a variety of steam and 

 hand-machines and presses of all descriptions were constructed. 

 Very few hand-machines have at all answered the ends of the pur- 

 chaser ; and, as to the presses, Lord Stanhope's, Clymer's Columbian, 

 and Cope and Sherwin's Imperial Press, are the most reputed ; 

 Ruthven's press, however, is admirably adapted for decorative print- 

 ing, and may be of service when space is an object. But printing in 

 colours at one operation, by means of machinery, is probably the 

 greatest novelty which has yet appeared. This decidedly original 

 process (which is presumed to be a complete safeguard against for- 

 gery), is supposed to be the invention of Sir W. Corigreve ; at the 

 same time, it is but justice to say (if the invention of printing be 

 ceded to Sir W. C.) that the machinery was invented and brought to 

 perfection by Mr. Wilks, a partner in the house of Donkin and Co., 

 engineers, of Bermondsey. The worthy baronet ultimately obtained 

 a patent for his novel mode of printing, and introduced the process 

 into some of the government offices, as well as permitted Messrs. 

 Whiting and Branston to avail themselves of his ingenuity ; and it 

 may be safely averred, that the invention has considerably increased 

 in public favour since its first introduction into Beaufort House, 



