What a magnificent machine this is. Right before you stands a Presse hydraulique Bliss a testament to industrial ingenuity. This isn’t just any press. It’s a piece of history a relic from the E W Bliss Company.
The E W Bliss Company a titan of metalworking. They started small in 1857 as Mays & Bliss. Making presses and dies. They grew. They changed names to Bliss & Williams then finally to the E W Bliss Co. By 1885 they were incorporated with 100000 dollars in capital. Imagine the ambition. The sheer drive to build something so substantial.
This press embodies that spirit. Its sturdy frame speaks of power. Its intricate mechanisms whisper stories of innovation. The company wasn’t just about presses. They made torpedoes projectiles even automobiles. During the Spanish-American War World War I and World War II Bliss supplied the US Navy with torpedoes and munitions.
Few people know this but Bliss also made the Bliss Automobile. A little-known footnote in automotive history. The company’s reach was vast. Their Brooklyn plant covered several city blocks. A true industrial behemoth. Eventually the company was acquired by Gulf + Western Industries. Then it became Bliss Clearing Niagara. Even in bankruptcy their intellectual property was valued and sold.
Look closely at the press. Notice the details the craftsmanship. The sheer scale of this machine is breathtaking. Picture the workers who built and operated it. The sweat the ingenuity the dedication that went into every bolt and gear. This Presse hydraulique Bliss is more than metal and mechanics. It’s a symbol of American industrial might. A monument to human ingenuity. A powerful reminder of a time when American industry reigned supreme. And now here it is in Paris a fascinating piece of transatlantic history.