The "Printer, Photographer, Tinkerer, Bibliophile" Story

Early photo of Harry Stauffer holding
his Graflex 3A that he purchased in
June of 1917.  Photo was taken by
James Keller of Ephrata, PA in 1970.

It was an ordinary day.  Reading in the Lancaster Newspaper about an exhibit at the Historical Society of the Cocalico Valley in Ephrata, PA titled Harry Franklin Stauffer: Printer, Photographer, Tinkerer, Bibliophile.  Wow, sounds like something I would enjoy, since it could be me they're talking about. Checked out their website and found they were only open on Saturdays, so picked one and headed to the Theodore R. Sprecher Museum that is housed in a beautiful Victorian mansion on Main St. in downtown Ephrata.  The mansion has thirteen beautifully restored rooms that house collections from the early 1800s to the present.  Behind the building is a carriage house  that had a sign above it reading "Print Shop."  Tried the door, but found it locked so I entered the museum through the rear door.  Once inside I was greeted with a wall covered with Lancaster County photos taken by Harry Stauffer.

One of Harry's photos from 1920.

Sitting close by in an enclosed display case was a black notebook that had numbers that matched the photos  on the wall with a note about every photo.  Listed was: Camera name, Film type, f/stop, Exp. (shutter speed), Light, Time of Day, Date, and Subject.  

Harry's notebook documenting every photo he ever took.

For every photo he had taken there was documen- tation to tell you about the photo.  All this from a guy who never graduated from high school.  Harry Stauffer was born in Farmers- ville, West Earl Township, in 1896 to Mennonite parents.  He grew up on a farm and didn't have much more than an elementary-level education.  

Harry's earlier photographic equipment.

He was described in a brochure I was given as "a Renaissance man, an amazing man, and he was talented in many ways."  In 1912, at the age of 16, he left home and traveled to Scottdale, PA where he worked in a publishing house.  Returned home the following year, but soon left again to travel to Bradford County, PA to take work as a poultryman on a farm.  Wasn't long before he was home again.  In 1915 he took up the printing trade and began to work with photograph.  The following year at the age of 20 he became interested in history and joined the Lancaster County Historical Society.  During WWI he entered the U.S. Army which was a rather strange move considering his Mennonite background.  

This book from Harry's collection was printed in 1787 by Benjamin
Mayer of Ephrata.  It is an edition of Franklin's autobiography that
was printed in the German language.

Ten months later he was discharged due to an injury suffered when he was thrown from a horse.  After his release from the service he started to build a library of European and American books as well as purchase antiques for his collection.  In 1915, when he began his interest in photography, most of his photos were of structures in south-eastern Pennsylvania.  

This is an advertisement for the Conestoga
Press, Harry's own establishment.  At the
bottom of it is the metal engraving used to
print his "Printer's Mark" on the relief press
which he had.

He continued taking photos until the 1970s.  More than 3,000 images are part of the collection the museum has on file. He was very suspicious of color film and every time he would take a photo in color, he would back it up with a black and white.  But of all his interests, printing was not only his favorite, but was his business as well as his passion.  He actually began his printing career in 1915 in the print shop of Silas Bard in Denver and ended it with his retirement as the printer for Weaver Book Store in Lancaster in 1956.  After that he established the Conestoga Press at his Farmersville home to demonstrate printing on his mid-19th century hand press.  He later donated the press to the museum and gave demonstrations in the carriage house.  He also restored an 1804 Ouram press at the Ephrata Cloisters and gave demonstrations to visitors to the Cloisters.  I did get to see a rare book that was printed at the Cloister by the brotherhood in 1786 and a German-language biography of Ben Franklin that was published at the Cloister in 1796, both books are in his collection.  

Picture of Harry working on his mid-19th century hand press.

Harry's life ended on October 16, 1982.  He was buried in the nearby Groffdale Mennonite Cemetery where his tombstone reads: "Printer - Tinkerer - Historian" along with the printer's mark of his private press, "The Conestoga Press".  The door that I had found locked at the rear of the museum was where his press was stored and the woman on duty told me I would have to wait for warmer weather to visit it.  I couldn't help but think that I wish I would have gotten a chance to meet this man who shared many of the same passions that I have.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - In case you were interested ..... A tinkerer is a person who regularly or occasionally engages in an activity as a pastime rather than a profession and a bibliophile is a person who loves books. 

A pencil portraiture of Harry made by James L. Keller of Ephrata on February 19, 1970.

An engraving mounted on wood to be "type high" for printing on Harry's press.

The above engraving was used to print this card.

This book from Harry's collection was titled "Das Ganz Neue Testament Uners Herrn Jesu Christi."  It is a 1787 reprint done at the Ephrata Cloisters by the Ephrata Brotherhood of the so-called "Taufer" New Testament originally printed in 1729 in Zurich.

Wow, Harry and I also enjoyed woodworking.  This is one of his chairs that is on display in the Museum.  I must admit that he was a better craftsman than I am.   

One of Harry's many Christmas cards made in 1954.  I also made cards on the letterpress for many years to send to friends.