As of the 16th century, members of high society interested in the art of printing set up their own ‘private presses’, for educational purposes, as a leisure activity, or as a means of publishing works which particularly interested them. These unauthorised, non commercial presses were more or less tolerated or protected by the authorities in spite of the strict rules which governed printing up until the 19th century. On occasion they used miniature presses such as the one shown here which was built on the model of Dutch presses which were very popular in the 17th and 18th centuries. The frame and the vertical section are original and date back to 18th century. The bed of the press was restored in the 19th century.
Private presses
