Albion Printing Press

Around 1820, the Albion Press was invented by Richard Whittake Cope in England (“Albion” is the oldest known name for the island of Great Britain). The press does not have a counter-balance mechanism, which makes it lighter and more portable than earlier iron presses but more difficult to operate. The Albion press was mostly used for proofing and private commercial work. It was often operated by young apprentices and women. Evelyn Gleeson set up Dun Emer Industries with Susan and Elizabeth Yeats in 1902, using a second-hand Albion to print their books and broadsides. They trained and employed women exclusively and printed original works by contemporary writers in limited editions. In 1908, the sisters split with Gleeson, taking the press with them and forming the Cuala Press.