University of Virginia Library

Printer

By the end of 1829, Dickinson had equipped his shop and was ready to solicit orders for printing. The first announcement succinctly described his objectives and policies:

At least two of his three references had a personal interest in the success of this venture. Henry J. Oliver, Boston merchant, became his father-in-law nine months later and John G. Rogers was the agent of the Boston Type and Stereotype Foundry.[10] The third reference, Reverend Silas Blaisdale, taught at the Salem Street Academy.[11] Obviously Dickinson was starting on his own without much encouragement from the businessmen of Boston.

Throughout his career, he always attempted to obtain the best and latest equipment, announcing these acquisitions proudly in advertisements

and publications which now provide some information about his facilities. Five months after he opened his office, he published an article about one of his presses. In this press, invented by Samuel Couillard, Jr., but manufactured by Phineas Dow, the platen was raised and lowered by "progressive levers" (toggle joints).[12] The article describes the Dow Press and then goes on to compare it with Clymer's Columbian Press. Because such contemporary comparisons are rare, the following excerpts are reprinted:

The earliest items printed by Dickinson were products of a skilled craftsman. He did excellent tabular work, as in the Report of the School Committee, Boston, 1829, and, during the next year, he demonstrated his ability to handle texts and lists in such publications as a report of the Boston Mechanics Institution (1830) and the Act of Incorporation of the Bunker Hill Monument Association. In addition to other works and job printing throughout the 1830's, he began printing books for publishers. Dickinson's production of John Locke's Some Thoughts Concerning Education in 1830 for Gray & Bowen must have pleased them; two years later, they selected him to print The Token (1833), one of the most distinguished American literary annuals. Another recognition of his craftsmanship is manifest in the choice of Dickinson to print the 1835 specimen book of the Boston Type and Stereotype Foundry. In six years, he had established himself as a highly respected and successful printer, enjoying an increasing amount of business.

The possibility of attaining better presswork led Dickinson to design modifications on the presses he purchased. One of the early alterations appeared so promising that he applied for a patent. This patent, for an improvement in the machinery for printing, was granted on 19 November 1833. Because of the fire in 1836, no copy survives in the Patent Office, but the patent was epitomized soon after it was granted:

It is to be regretted that there is not even a clue to the method of distributing and equalizing the ink. That "it would be difficult to describe without a drawing" prompts one to speculate that Dickinson may have utilized the principle of the revolving disk.

The origin of the press most closely associated with Dickinson has, until now, remained obscure. His 1839 Boston Almanac contained this announcement:

Despite the fact that the Rotary Press bears a striking resemblance to George P. Gordon's Firefly Press, Henry L. Bullen said that Stephen P. Ruggles built the Rotary Press for Dickinson.[16] Two pieces of evidence prove Bullen to be incorrect. The first, Gordon's patent of 1852 for the Firefly Press, acknowledges that it is an adaptation of a press patented by C. F. Voorhies on 8 April 1834 (U.S. Patent No. 9,234). The second is Dickinson's own statement in his Boston Almanac. Under date of 1 August in "Memoranda of Events in Boston, during the year, 1838," he listed: "The Rotary Press, invented by Mr. C. F. Voorhies, of New York, first introduced into Boston, by S. N. Dickinson, with which one person can print at the rate of 2000 cards per hour."[17]

Dickinson found the Rotary Press so promising that although he had originally purchased the right of use for the city of Boston, he decided to promote and sell it in a larger territory. Answering a query about the press from Elihu Geer, Hartford printer, in 1841, Dickinson described his marketing plans:

In response, Geer asked for a trial period of six months before deciding whether to buy. Dickinson replied: Geer agreed to buy the press which was delivered within three months, but even before the press arrived, Dickinson encouraged his customer to dispose of the Yankee Card Press: "to throw a damper on their zeal here, by seeing one of them thrown out of use, and offered for sale. This would have a grand effect for me" (Dickinson to Geer, 15 May 1841). Geer used his Rotary Press for about one month before he notified Dickinson that the Yankee Card Press was for sale. Dickinson then insured a "grand effect" by paying Geer six dollars to advertise its sale in three Boston newspapers.[20]

An aggressive sales campaign for the Rotary Press yielded results. One was probably placed in New York where the "Office of the Rotary

Press" conducted business in 1841.[21] At Philadelphia, A. H. Simmons & Co. advertised that they had purchased "Dickinson's Improved Rotary Card Press" (Dollar Newspaper, 13 Sept. 1843). The campaign also reached westward. When he shipped the press to Geer, Dickinson wrote, "I could have sold it this week, and had it on its way to Columbus Ohio." And then, taking a slap at the sales methods of the inventor of the Yankee Card Press, he added "But the Orcut principle did not seem to suit me" (Dickinson to Geer, 19 May 1841).

Dickinson's 1841 Boston Almanac contained a five-page catalogue of work that could be done and articles that could be found at his printing office. It revealed that, at the end of 1840, he was equipped to print newspapers, books, and pamphlets in English, French, or Spanish. Job work extended from cards to show bills in type from Diamond to 60-line Pica. Printing in color, gold printing, embossing, zylographic printing, and engraving were also available. He used "about a dozen different kinds of Printing Presses" in the approximately hundred-foot-long office on Washington Street.[22]

His passion for self-respect and the respect of his world asserted itself without a lull. In 1841, while he enthusiastically used and sold the Rotary Press, he purchased the Boston right for the Ruggles Engine Press which was patented in 1840 (U.S. Patent No. 1,851). Because this card and job press had the horizontal type form above the horizontal platen, it became known as the Upside Down Press.[23] Soon Ruggles advertised that two of these presses were "constantly running" in Dickinson's office (Boston Morning Post, 15 June 1841). Dickinson, in one of his own advertisements, declared that he "will avail himself of all new facilities for executing work—facilities which the inventive genius of our countrymen is constantly producing and improving—as far as honorably he can, either by fair purchase or free permission from the inventors" (Boston Daily Times, 1 July 1841). Another advertisement specified some of the other new facilities: a steam engine, several new inking apparatuses, a new cylinder engine for job work, a hydrostatic press for giving printed work a "most beautiful gloss and finish," two new power presses, as well as new type, flowers, and cuts being received via steamers from Liverpool (New England Puritan, 11 Nov. 1841).

To be known as the owner of the shop with the best equipment did not suffice; he made the shop itself express his fervor for his craft. He was, he told the public, the first in Boston "to arrange and systematize a Printing Office in such a manner as to leave impressions of respect and

delight upon the minds of those whose business or fancy led them to visit the modern 'Printing House'" (New England Puritan, 5 May 1842). His achievement earned him the admiration of his fellow-craftsmen. In 1841, examples of his job work won a silver medal at the third exhibition of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association.[24] When he displayed examples at the next exhibition in 1844, the judges concluded their comment with a note of appreciation: "The Committee consider Mr. Dickinson entitled to much credit for his efforts to advance the Art."[25] On another page of the catalogue, after a description of his display of specimens of plate-printing by direct pressure instead of a roller, the committee gave him "great praise, for his enterprise and skill, in introducing this improvement" (Fourth Exhibition, p. 141). This display also contained a book of his embossed cards, produced on a press made by Ruggles, which the committee also approved. With the press, they said, "and with the aid of Mr. Mitchell, the Seal Cutter and Die Sinker, . . . he has brought the art to a high degree of perfection; in which, he has, as yet, been excelled by none, though many others have since engaged in the business."[26] The combined display was awarded a silver medal. Book and periodical publishers also became aware of his ability; he had already started to print for such firms as Crocker & Brewster and William D. Ticknor and, until 1844, he printed the New England Puritan.[27]

By 1845, Dickinson was printer, publisher, stereotyper, and typefounder. The expanding volume of business was too large to be closely supervised by one person. On 1 April, Dickinson admitted Charles C. P. Moody, one of his chief assistants, as a co-partner under the firm name of S. N. Dickinson & Co.[28] Moody probably managed the printing department

while Dickinson devoted most of his attention to the typefoundry. Dickinson's pride in the book and job printing establishment which he created is apparent in his description of the shop as it turned out work in 1845:

The great variety of typographical activities under one roof provided excellent training for ambitious employees. William Filmer, one

of the first and best-known electrotypers, arrived from England at the age of seventeen and commenced his American career working for Dickinson.[30] Soon after graduation from the University of Vermont, Henry O. Houghton was hired by Dickinson who quickly discerned his capability. After a short time as compositor, Houghton was promoted to proofreader, a position which the delighted young man told his parents was "about the highest notch as to dignity in a Printing office."[31] Men of unquestionable ability like the two successful English printers, John Wilson and his son of the same name, who had immigrated to Boston in 1846, were immediately taken on, the father as proofreader, the son as compositor. Towards the end of a year, they resigned to found one of the best of the nineteenth century American printing firms.[32] A charming tribute to Dickinson as employer appeared in 1842. George Coolidge who began as apprentice and rose to foreman wrote and printed a romantic description in verse of the shop and typefoundry. This small forty-four page pamphlet, signed "A Votary," is dedicated to Dickinson, "as an humble tribute of esteem, and a grateful memento of the invaluable means of mechanical acquisition experienced during a long continuance in his extensive Printing House."[33]

The year 1846 marked the summit of Dickinson's career for, as the year ended, his health began to decline and he could no longer continue his constant, intensive activity. The co-partnership with Charles C. P. Moody expired by limitation on 1 April 1847. Dickinson again assumed complete financial responsibility, but the formal announcement pointed out that Moody would remain, attending chiefly to the printing department while Dickinson devoted his attention principally to the typefounding department (Daily Evening Transcript, 15 May 1847). This stop-gap arrangement ended in September when Dickinson sold his "extensive Printing Office, Book Bindery, and Card Embossing department" to Damrell & Moore.[34] Nevertheless the name of Dickinson did not disappear in the Boston printing industry. When Damrell & Moore moved to Devonshire Street in 1848, they referred to their firm as "The

Dickinson Printing and Binding Establishment."[35] And when Charles C. P. Moody leased the original premises at 52 Washington Street, his shop name was "The Old Dickinson Printing Office."[36]