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I LANSTON TYPE COMPANY I GERALD GIAMPA I
¶ THIS SILHOUETTE is the only photograph of my first press at the 1305 Lynn Valley Road address. Late I installed an ATF Little Giant cylinder press. Jim Enos and I reconstructed the floor for that addition. I remember it was snowing when the photo was taken.
I don't believe I ever took pictures of my next shop on Maginnis Avenue. Maybe I did and the ex-wife ended up with them. Ex-wives have a thing about pictures.
The photo brings back another memory. When I was printing wedding invitations I heard a strange noise. Thinking it was my press I turned the machine off. The noise continued. Upstairs in my sleeping loft I found an enormous ocelot snoring. The bum had wondered in off the street undetected and took an afternoon snooze.
From that day onward I never left the door open.
However, the nauseating owner of the cat began routinely dropping the animal off for me to look after. Yeah right, good idea.
I hated that cat. My bird Gretchen did too.
Leonard Cohen visited this shop, coffee and poetry talk was enjoyed. Cohen signed 'Flowers for Hitler'. The book was a charmingly letterpressed edition, I believe he designed it himself. Unfortunately I found myself short of money much later and sold the chapbook to 'Wil Hoffer Books'.
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¶ THIS WESTMAN & BAKER hand fed platen press is the machine Wil Hudson found for me. I purchased it from the famous Canadian artist George Kuthan. This is the same printing press Kuthan used in printing his Honey Suckle Press books.
The machine cost me $500.00. I earned the monies with the machine making monthly payments. A sizable amount of money in 1963. Not only that but I was only 13 going on 14 years of age. In those days these machines were not obsolete! They were standard fare.
1035 Lynn Valley Road was the third location for my various printing establishments.