Tucked in the basement corner of our 1930s Manchester bungalow sits a Golding Pearl #14 platen press—a piece of iron so central to the space, the house feels it must have been built around it. Its original owner was William P. Goodman Jr., whose family ran Goodman’s Bookstore, a local literary anchor for over a century. Mark Twain, a friend of the elder Goodman, once described New Hampshire weather as a state of “dazzling uncertainty”—a phrase that captures both the spirit of Manchester and my own pull toward the unknown.
After ten years of staring, asking, and tinkering, I finally brought Mr. Goodman’s press back to life using a mix of traditional advice, scavenged original parts, and makeshift solutions. This piece displays the mechanics of that resurrection: the chase locked up with furniture, spacing, and quoins alongside the resulting impression.
(Note: Limited edition of 40 prints available by free distribution or donation to the collective.)
This may be too heavy and off balance to hang on the wall. May be best displayed leaning or lying flat on a surface
