T.A. Farnsworth A.M. Farnsworth


Farnsworth
Printing
Since 1892

1st and 2nd Generation

A.G. Farnsworth T.A. Farnsworth 3rd Generation
4th Generation D.G. Farnsworth B.J. Farnsworth

A history of Farnsworth Printing written
by Jerry Farnsworth back in 1974

Yankee ingenuity and the knack of picking a marketable specialty are traits which have distinguished the Farnsworth family of printers since 1886.

That was the year in which Theron A. Farnsworth settled in Camden and began a small job printing business in a barm behind his Minor Avenue residence.

That home is still in the family today and is still occupied by a T. A. Farnsworth, a grandson who has carried on the printing tradition and is today president of the Farnsworth Envelope Co.

Between these two men, 88 years of Farnsworth printing in the village of Camden are spanned.

The original "T.A." specialized in printing of milk tickets. These were coupons bought from a dairy and used as a means of ordering and at the same time paying for home-delivered dairy products.

Known as the "Webb Press," this business prospered first under the direction of T.A. and beginning in 1933 under the proprietorship of his grandson, Almon G. In 1938 it became a facet of the family's major endeavor, the printing of church offering envelopes.

Back in 1896, T.A. had given his son, Almon M. Farnsworth, a small hand press, and while still in high school, A.M. launched a printing career which was to spread the name of Camden, NY throughout the country.

Almon Farnsworth was canny and industrious and by 1906 he had established his own printing business in a new factory built by him at 17 Main St. This brick structure still housess a part of the Farnsworth operations.

The A.M. Farnsworth Co. first specialized in the printing of catalogues and advertising calendars. However, business soon came to be concentrated on printing boxed, annual sets of church offering envelopes. By 1916 his firm ranked as one of the nation's leading suppliers of this unusual product.

The company continued to develop as a prominent church specialty printing house and in 1938 two sons, Almon G. and T. Albert, were taken into partnership and the A.M. Farnsworth & Sons Co. came into being.

A.M. Farnsworth died in 1947 and the partnership of his sons continued until 1957 when T. Albert formed a separate corporation to pursue a refinement of the envelope concept, the monthly mailing of individually addressed offering envelopes.

In 1959, Almon incorporated the parent company under the name "A.M. Farnsworth Sons" and took into the business his sons, David, who took charge of the growing commercial printing division. Almon retired in 1969 after 36 years of service to his business and this community.

Today, David is president of the company and has continued the manufacture of boxed envelopes, children's envelopes, liturgical calendars and church specialties while building the commercial printing business into one of the finest job printing firms in Central New York.

Growth has been marked by numerous improvements to the original buildings and acquisition of the former Main St. Red and White Store and Grange building.

During the same time, the offshoot Farnsworth Envelope Co. has grown steadily under the direction of T. Albert Farnsworth. Three separate additions and extensive renovations including the erection of an attractive Main St. facade have been made over the past 17 years. Now Farnsworth Envelope puts nearly 4-1/2 million of mail through the Camden Post Office each year.

In 1969, Mr. Farnsworth's sons, Jerry, entered the firm joining David as the fourth generation of Farnsworths active in the vocation of printing and the avocation of building a better Camden.

REPRINTED from "The Advance-Journal" 100th Anniversary Edition, Thursday, May 9, 1974.






That was Then, This is Now
by David G. Farnsworth, Jr.

In 1978, David's son, also named David, joined the family as manager of the Commercial Printing Department. The following year he purchased that department and operated as a separate business called Farnsworth Printing.

Around that same time the remaining church envelope printing division of A.M. Farnsworth Sons, Inc. was sold to Farnsworth Envelope. Now the church printing once separated back in 1957 was once again together. Upon T. Albert's retirement Jerry took full control.

To afford greater efficiency Jerry moved the equipment at 17 & 19 Main Street to Farnsworth Envelope combining the church printing under one roof. He then sold the vacant building to David Jr. so Farnsworth Printing could use it for storage purposes.

In 1982 David Jr., incorporated his business using the name Business Lithographers of America, Inc. yet still goes by the Farnsworth Printing name.

In the mid 80's (I don't remember the year) Farnsworth Envelope was sold to a competitor from Buffalo, NY named Cathedral Envelope.

In March of 2004, Farnsworth Printing was purchased by Lisa K Bailey, a native of Atlanta Georgia who moved to Camden in 2001. The business was moved to 27 Main Street in Camden N.Y., sharing a building with Muddbug Computers, Inc. Before the move in 2004 Farnsworth Printing was down sized and a large portion of the equipment was sold at auction. After the purchase even more of the old larger equipment had to be sold due to space limitations at the new location. After the move new updated, digital equipment (much smaller in size) was purchased to replace the equipment that was sold. Forced to upgrade, the new technology of digital equipment has made Farnsworth Printing one of the first fully digital print centers in upstate New York. This fully digital printer is now able to offer the highest quality product with prices comparable to the much larger printers.
Lisa K Bailey
In June 2005, Lisa K. married Jeff Abbott (Owner of Muddbug Computers, Inc.) and the two companies merged under the name Atlanta Graphics, Inc.. Also in 2005 extensive building overhaul was conducted where as a completely new exterior, and major inside renovations were completed.

In August of 2005 several new high tech pieces of equipment (approx. $40,000.00) were purchased to completely move both companies into the high tech / digital era.

Still known locally as Farnsworth Printing & Muddbug Computers, Inc., Atlanta Graphics, handles everything from high tech electronics to school year book printing. With more growth planned in the future.



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