Antique notary’s press, 35cm, in working order, with original patina
🔥 Pièce unique – 1 exemplaire disponible
This antique notary’s press, made of cast iron and approximately 35 cm high, consists of a rectangular base flanked by two columns supporting a central arch, within which a worm screw with twin handles in the shape of flattened spheres rotates. The pressure plate, adorned with an engraved circular design, bears a brass plate bearing the manufacturer’s name ‘Au Vieux Chêne, Paris’, the hallmark of a Parisian firm specialising in office equipment and bookbinding supplies. The design, which is both robust and elegant, is characteristic of professional presses from the early 20th century.
The piece is presented in its original condition, with its original patina preserved on the cast iron and coppery highlights around the base. It is in impeccable condition and its original mechanism operates very smoothly, with the screw rising and falling effortlessly. A notary’s press from this period, complete, in working order and with its manufacturer’s plate intact, is now difficult to find.
This antique notary’s press will appeal to collectors of vintage professional equipment, enthusiasts of period notary’s offices and studios, bookbinders and book lovers, as well as interior designers seeking a characterful piece for an office, a library or an industrial-style interior. It can be used as a decorative piece or continue to be used for pressing documents.
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350 €
🔥 Pièce unique – 1 exemplaire disponible
🔥 Pièce unique – 1 exemplaire disponible
- FREE DELIVERY in 78, Paris, and 91, 92, 93, 94 and 95.
- Return within 14 days
In the early 20th century, the notary’s office was a central institution of French civil life, where contracts, deeds of sale, and wills were drafted and preserved. In this world of paper, the screw press was an essential piece of office equipment: it flattened documents, held bound deeds in place, and pressed letter copies, keeping archives in good order and ensuring the neat presentation of files.
Manufactured in cast iron by specialist firms supplying office and bookbinding equipment, notably in Paris, these presses display clean lines and a robustness built to last for decades. With the spread of typewriting, photocopying, and then digital technology, they disappeared from professional offices, but their industrial aesthetic and fascinating mechanics make them today sought-after collector’s objects, witnesses to the professional equipment of the early 20th century.
Antique notary’s press from 1920, in immaculate condition, fully functional and in its original state, with a manufacturer’s plate reading ‘Au Vieux Chêne, Paris’. Made of metal and cast iron, with a very smooth original mechanism; in its original condition with its original patina.
Origin: FranceMaterials: Metal and cast iron
Year: 1920
Condition: As-found, with original patina
Free collection from the Coignières showroom
Arrange delivery with Cocolis
Height: 15.7 in
Width: 15.7 in
Depth: 15.7 in
Weight: 55.1 lbs
Shipping fees are automatically calculated on the cart page as soon as you enter your delivery address.
We offer free delivery in France for all items — including combined orders, if you are located in Yvelines (78), in Paris, or in the departments 91, 92, 93, 94 and 95.
For all other destinations within mainland France, your order can be delivered securely via Cocolis.
Upon receiving your order, you have 14 calendar days to return your item or report any issue.
Some selected products also benefit from free shipping within mainland France.
For full details, please visit our Shipping & Returns page.
You may also choose free collection from our showroom in Coignières.
