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Andrew Campbell
| Firmenname | Andrew Campbell |
| Ortssitz | Brooklyn (New York) |
| Art des Unternehmens | Druckmaschinen-Erfinder |
| Anmerkungen | - |
| Quellenangaben | [Bishop: History of American manufacturers 2 (1868) 549] |
| Zeit |
Ereignis |
| 1821 |
Geburt von Andrew Campbell in Trenton, New Jersey |
| 1858 |
Campbell, der bis her bei "A. B. Taylor & Co." als Vorarbeiter in deren Druckmaschinenfabri arbeitete, macht sich selbständig. |
| 1861 |
Campbell meldet seine Erfindung zum Patent an. |
| 1863 |
Beginn der Herstelung der "Campbell's Country Newspaper Press" |
| 1866 |
Campbell baut in Brooklyn für $80.000 die größte Fabrik zur Herstellung von Druck- und Zeitungsdruckpressen im Lande. |
| ZEIT | 1868 |
| THEMA | Firmenbeschreibung |
| TEXT | The inventor of the printing press bearing his name, which has proved to be the most valuable contribution made to journalists throughout the country since the days of Franklin, was born in the city of Trenton, State of New Jersey, in the year 1821. His early history, like that of most men of enterprise and genius, is checquered with incidents of good and evil fortune, the latter, however, largely predominating. It was intended that the fibres of his brain and the muscles of his body should be tested and strengthened in that fiery struggle with poverty where the weak fall by the wayside, but the strong grow stronger. Before he was fifteen years of age he left his native State, and alone and partly on foot, he travelled to Illinois, where he apprenticed himself to a coach builder. When he had completed his apprenticeship and attained his majority, he started again farther west, locating in St. Louis, where he aided in the construction of the first omnibus ever run in that city, and designed and built the "Great Western," the largest omnibus then or since seen west of the Ohio river. His life during the next few years gives indications of that unrest which active minds undergo that have not yet found the proper sphere for the exercise of their faculties. We hear of him in Columbia, Mo., as a dealer in machinery; then as the inventor of an ingenious machine for turning match boxes; again in Kentucky as a builder of the Muscatine Bridge over Cedar creek, said to be the longest single span wooden bridge ever, constructed, being five hundred and fifty-seven feet between abutments; and then back again in Missouri, pursuing the routine oo'cupation of a farmer. In 1853, the Great Industrial Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in New York attracted him to that city and opened to his vision a new world. Here he discovered, for the first time, that his true sphere was to be found among cog wheels, levers, cranks, pullies, and the other constituents of inanimate machines. He felt that sympathy with their movements, only understood by men possessing mechanical genius, and they spoke to him in a familiar language. Exhibitors in the Machinery Department were astonished at the readiness with which this apparently raw western spectator could penetrate the intricacies of their combinations in mechanism, and comprehend, their true and practical values. Offers were made him to superintend the construction of machines in New York, and he returned to the west for his family, a journey that so much exhausted his small means, that when he arrived in the city of his future prosperity for the second time, he had but a surplus of six cents in his pocket. His first employment was in building feeding machines for printing presses, and then was engaged by A. B. Taylor & Co. as the foreman of their printing press manufactory. Here he remained until 1858, and by his successful management and ingenious adaptations aided that firm in establishing an extensive business. While in their employ he designed and built, by special contract, a press peculiarly adapted for printing illustrated newspapers, such as "Frank Leslie's" and "Harper's Weekly." It was while employed in this manufactory that he realized how great was the need among publishers of country newspapers of a simple, strong, durable press, adapted to their purposes, and he determined, if possible, to supply this want. For several years after leaving Taylor's employ, he was engaged in experimenting in the production of such a press as was needed, and it was not until 1861 that he considered his invention sufficiently developed to apply for a patent, and it was not until 1863 that he fairly commenced manufacturing the now celebrated "Campbell's Country Newspaper Press." This Press, for simplicity of construction, thorough distribution, clearness and beauty of impression, and perfection of registry, is said by many practical printers to be superior to any that has ever been invented. It is adapted alike to job as to newspaper printing; the smallest circulars, plain or in colors, as well as the largest sized posters, may be printed on it with equal facility; and it may be propelled by hand or steam power. It can be run by hand, and execute from seven hundred to one thousand impressions per hour, and if steam is used, it will print fifteen hundred impressions in the same time. During the year 1866 Mr. Campbell erected in Brooklyn, at a cost of $80.000, the largest works in the country devoted exclusively to manufacturing Newspaper and Job Presses. The main building is thirty-two by one hundred and thirty-two feet, with a foundry and smith shop, thirty by one hundred and ten feet, all of brick. Tho manufactory is faced with brown stone trimmings, and all the windows have green Venitian blinds. The machinery is propelled by an engine of thirty horse power, and the works have a capacity for turning out two large sized Presses every week. About fifty hands are regularly employed, to whom the highest wages, ranging from 3.00 to 5.00 a day are paid. When Mr. Campbell engaged regularly in the manufacture of Printing Presses, he adopted a system of selling them that had never before been attempted. He fixed his prices at a uniform percentage of profits, giving his customers, the printers, all the advantage that could be afforded, and refusing to middlemen all commissions and douceurs to pressmen. This was regarded as a hazardous experiment, but his success has demonstrated its practicability. He has constructed and sold nearly three hundred of his Presses, which have been distributed to all parts, not only of this, but of other countries, including Africa on the one side, and Nova Scotia and Prince Edward's Islands on the other, and the demand increases as their advantages become known. It will thus be seen that Mr. Campbell has displayed originality in commercial tactics as well as in adapting machinery, or in other words, has exhibited that combination, rarely found, of a successful business man and an ingenious inventor. |
| QUELLE | [Bishop: History of American manufacturers 2 (1868) 549] |
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