It's a small small world

Last weekend, while on a family trip to Chicago, I met some old friends for brunch. There was a wait for the table, being the hip, popular place that it was, so we took a little walk. Wouldn't you know, right on the corner not half a block from the restaurant, was sitting a C+P old style platen press!



my friend Eric, posing graciously with the newfound wonder

What on earth was this press doing just sitting on the sidewalk? Okay, it was welded stationary and cemented in place, so it was a monument of sorts. But still! It seemed to have nothing to do with the realty company behind it.

After gawking for several minutes we walked on, espying a street fair just a block further on. To our delight (well, mine, anyway) we discovered a book fair. Guess what we found at the very first booth?



A little Kelsey! It was the Columbia College book arts program, with a do-it-yourself postcard/woodtype print set up (see the "neato" card on the table). Cool.

It wasn't until we were heading back to the restaurant that I found this sign:



Ohhhhhhh.... we were on Printer's Row. Suddenly the random appearance of a one-ton press sitting on the sidewalk made a little more sense.