Many thanks to Mr. Lawrence "Larry" Hibbert for the two lower photos.
Larry wrote:
I have recently started reading your blog about Trenton and am enjoying it immensely. Thank you for your work. William Hibbert is my Great Grandfather and printing has been in the family from him down to my generation. I am sharing with you a couple of pictures of the old shop that are in my family history records. Keep up the good work, as I don't find much about the Trenton area from the 40's 50's or 60's. I left the area to join the Navy for a career in the Submarine Service and currently live in Virginia.I have inserted the 2011 Hibbert Group logo below the photo of Star Hall at 189 South Broad Street which was then located next to the German Lutheran Church in the Mill Hill section of Trenton. How far they have come from the early years of the old "job press!" They are into digital graphic technology that makes my meager Photoshop graphics look like kindergarten. I took 4 years of printing in high school with the hopes of becoming a printer. However, back in those days one had to serve an apprenticeship with a weekly pay that only the more affluent citizen could afford. My printing abilities with that old Hamilton Job Press in Charles "Pop" Mitchell's Hamilton High School printing class earned me straight A's throughout the 3 years I was in his basement print shop in the basement of Hamilton West. He told me that my proficiency in spelling and grammar were a definite advantage to anyone interested in choosing the career of a printer. I was also an "ace" with that old California job case, deftly picking out those "ffi" and "ffl" ligatures and as rapidly spacing them with "em" and "en" quads where necessary. I do believe I could operate one of those old printing relics today, these 60 plus years later.
Tom:
Once again you bring back vivid memories of my youth. This block was considered the beginning of "uptown" from us kids in "Jewtown" The church noted above was one of the last buildings to go in this block to accomodate the extenstion of Livingston Street to Broad from Lamberton. I you look closely, you will see the tall building at the far right of the photo. This was the Palace Theatre, where I climbed the fireescape in the alleyway along side of it that led you to Cooper St. to sneek into to see a double feature. I did not realize The Hibbert Printing Co. I worked for 1957-59 had it's origins in my old neighborhood of South Trenton. Once again, thanks for all your work to bring us old geezers so much joy.
Regards
Mike Kuzma
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Hi Mike: This card-carrying member of "Wrinkle City" also loves those golden olden days.
Tom