Lithographic cylinder press

This lithographic press by the machine maker Poirier has an iron cylinder with mobile bearings. The lithographic stone is propelled back and forth by a gearwheel controlled by a second, much smaller cogged wheel worked by a lever. The strong pressure uniformly exerted over the entire surface of the stone can be adjusted using the mechanism at the top of the press. The cylinder ensures the stone’s regular inking, irrespective of the printer’s manual skill. Poirier was acclaimed for the quality of his machines and was awarded bronze medals at the Exhibitions of Products of French Industry in 1844 and 1849. In 1855 Désiré van Monckhoven recommended that photographers use this press to calender photographic visiting cards, and in 1860 Poirier registered a patent for a machine for glazing photographs.