John Cossar & Son and the Govan Press

Local weekly newspapers in market towns, or serving localities in large urban centres, were usually produced, alongside local-interest journals and a few books, in general printing offices which served the local businesses and community: John Cossar & Son of Govan is an example of this type of printing office. The firm had its origins in the 1870s, and later became the publisher of local weekly newspapers in Glasgow. John’s son, Thomas, invented the ‘Cossar Patent Flat Bed Web Newspaper Printing Machine’ in 1899. The machine used the existing skills and typesetting equipment available in every letterpress printers, but was reel- (or web-) instead of sheet-fed, keeping small circulation local weekly newspapers viable with a technology that remained unchallenged for fifty years.