Background
George E. Clymer was born in 1754 on his father’s farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. He was of a Swiss family which had emigrated from Geneva early in the eighteenth century.
George E. Clymer was born in 1754 on his father’s farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. He was of a Swiss family which had emigrated from Geneva early in the eighteenth century.
George attended the district schools and at the same time assisted his father with the farm work in which he showed a particular skill in the maintenance of the mechanical equipment.
When sixteen years old, Clymer took up carpentry and joining, and within a short time devised a unique plow especially adapted to the local soils. He continued at his chosen trade in his home neighborhood for at least twenty-five years, during which time he applied his ingenuity and inventive skill in numerous ways. About 1800 he moved to Philadelphia and became much interested in the erection of the first permanent bridge across the Schuylkill River, particularly in the construction of-the piers. To clear the coffer-dams he devised a pump superior to any then available. It had a capacity of 500 gallons of water per minute and was capable of transporting sand, gravel, and stone. For this he received a United States patent December 22, 1801, and later obtained a British patent.
He then turned his attention to the improvement of the printing- press, particularly the iron hand-press devised by the Earl of Stanhope. After sixteen years of concentrated effort he introduced his improved press, which he called the “Columbian”. Its elbowed pulling bar and diagonal connecting rod which changed a horizontal movement into a perpendicular one, combined with its main lever, applying its force directly to the form, commended it to all pressmen as it required considerably less strength and effort on their part to obtain perfect work. Another unusual feature of Clymer’s press and one that made it always recognized was its ornamentation, all of cast-iron—a Hermes on each pillar, alligators and other reptiles on the levers, and, surmounting the whole, an American spread eagle. The eagle, however, was more than an ornament for it acted as a counterweight to lift the platen after printing. Much as the press was desired by American printers they were too poor at this early date to pay the price ($400), so Clymer took it to England in 1817 where it was immediately taken up by experienced printers and was in great favor for many years. Somewhat later, a few of the presses were used in the United States. For business reasons, presumably, Clymer spent most of his time after 1818 in Europe, particularly England, and died in Coalter — Coan London in his eightieth year.
George E. Clymer became well-known for his invention of the Columbian printing press in which he exhibited the greatest amount of improvement ever attained in any one instance in hand-printing machines. It was also the first real American invention in printing. For this invention Clymer received from the King of the Netherlands a gold medal valued at one hundred golden ducats and a present from the Czar of Russia following the introduction of the Columbian press in that country.
Clymer was married to Margaret Backhouse, daughter of Judge Backhouse of the Durham Iron Works in Pennsylvania and was survived by three daughters.
