Richard Hicks Bobcat Model 1 Field Press - Cedar Crest, New Mexico
Age: 1979, Serial No. 7, Platen size:
Built by Richard Hicks (1922-2012), the Bobcat printing press was made in the
style of a 17th-century army field press. With the chest of type as
the base, it was easy to move from place to place by wagon. It was
beautifully constructed using Honduran mahogany and built in an
old-fashioned way. Mr. Hicks hand-cast the bronze hardware and
decorative features himself. He made about 30 presses in total,
which are now held in private collections and various museums,
including the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC.
This Bobcat was Mr. Hicks' personal press until it was sold to Gem Press in the
late 1990s.
Born in Plainfield, NJ, in 1922, Mr. Hicks joined the Marine Corps, fought in WW2, and was wounded in Iwo Jima. Mr. Hicks and his family moved to New Mexico in 1952, Mr. Hicks was an accomplished multi-genre talented artisan, and was recognized as a maker of Kentucky flintlock rifles, western sculpture, candles, and of course, wooden printing presses.
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