introducing “madame butterfly”
Over the holiday, a brand spanking new (old) Monarch Press was unearthed and went up for sale. Anyone that’s been shopping for one knows that a good working tabletop press is hard to find, and even more so when it comes with a larger chase size. I actually wasn’t shopping for another press at the time, but it was a deal I could not pass up and I had to see it with my own eyes. I made arrangements to meet the seller, John, and as I walked up his driveway, I spied her. There she was, beaming in John’s back yard, waiting to be taken home.
My jaw dropped as I assessed the condition of the 9×12 Craftsmen Monarch staring back at me. Sans rollers, this little gem had been hiding for decades with an unused ink disk, original orange paint job, working gripper bars and great rails. She also came with 3 chases and a full case of 36pt Futura Bold lead type. Score!
Along with a little dust and minimal surface rust here and there, the press came with 2 gauge pins in place, as well as both the feed board and delivery board in excellent condition.
We had to temporarily leave some Christmas presents behind to make room for the Monarch. “Madame Butterfly” was a 5 minute drive from my old stomping ground. Could there be a 8×12 old style treadle press hiding somewhere nearby?
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