Caxton Press (United Kingdom)
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (November 2019) |
Frank Wawne (1900–1995) founded the Caxton Press at Shildon, County Durham, in the United Kingdom in 1930.
History
[edit]The business specialised in letterpress printing, and had two 19th-century, belt-driven, hand-fed printing presses, a Gordon and a Golding. In World War II, Wawne took the unusual step of ordering a printing press for the business from Heidelberg,[1] a German manufacturer. Hostilities meant that the sheet-fed crown platen could not be delivered until 1952.
The company went from strength to strength, specialising in business cards, invitations and bespoke wedding stationery, running from the original 'tin hut'[clarification needed] in Mafeking Place, Shildon. On Wawne's retirement in 1989, the business was taken over by a Worthing firm.
The introduction of modern processes, including the offset printing methods and the introduction of computerised typesetting, led to the closure of the major letterpress suppliers, forcing the business to close its letterpress side of the business in October 2002 after 72 years.
The business had no connection with William Caxton (1422–1491), the first British printer, whose business was at the sign of the "Red Pale".
References
[edit]- ^ Heidelberg-printing-press.com Archived 2006-03-05 at the Wayback Machine
External links
[edit] | This United Kingdom business-related biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- British business biography stubs
- Publishing companies established in 1930
- Publishing companies of the United Kingdom
- Printing companies of the United Kingdom
- British companies established in 1930
- British companies disestablished in 2002
- Companies based in County Durham
- Publishing companies disestablished in 2002