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Issue of the FOSSIL Official Publication of The Fossils, The Historians of Amateur Journalism The Fossil Volume 116, No. 3, Whole No. 383 Sunnyvale, California April 2020 Fossil Profile My Ajay Mentors by Linda Donaldson FOSSIL EDITOR Dave Tribby has asked me to provide a the beginning of a long love affair. It was almost the few thoughts on my friends and mentors in the world last press I saw exit my door. of amateur journalism. Though I’m not active now, He also introduced me to ajayers in my hometown thanks mostly to vision problems that make it hard to of Portsmouth, Ohio: Karl X. Williams and Charlie read the bundles, I was fortunate Phillips. The two of them were to have had several good men­ happy to share or sell me some of tors. I am still a Fossil—it’s hard their treasure troves of type or to totally desert the realm. necessary equipment. Much has It started with the one and been written of Karl, a Lone only J. Hill Hamon, whom I met Scout young printer in the 1920s, as my Biology professor at AAPA founding father, and a Transylvania University in Lex­ Fossil. To this day I possess a pa­ ington, Kentucky in January of per cutter I bought from Katie, 1972. I didn’t start learning the Karl’s widow. I was employed printing part until a short term about five years as a rubber class in December of 1972. He set stamp maker by Karl’s daughter out lots of old type on the Bio­ Pam and son­in­law Gary. They logy lab tables, and a few small bought out Karl’s shop and presses—mostly 5x8 or 6x10 moved home to Portsmouth from sizes. He gave us each a copy of Linda Donaldson at the 1999 AAPA convention Columbus, Ohio to raise their the lay of the case, a few demon­ in Little Rock, Arkansas two children (Jeff and Angela). strations and instructions, and turned us loose. Some­ Karl was a professional printer. He worked in the com­ place I still have a framed copy of the small paragraph I posing room of the local newspaper by day, type­set­ managed to produce. He often preached to us one best ting on the Ludlow and by hand, and making the way to learn is to mess up a lot. His job was to prevent rubber dies for rubber stamps by night. Katie would us from hurting ourselves or others! He, along with his finish them the next day, and fill orders to his custom­ small band of “apostles,” would spend hours in his of­ ers, mostly in local banks and office supply stores. It fice sharing his infamous “Mule­Ass Wine,” waiting for was apparently a common sight to see Katie transport­ students to come ask what we were doing wrong! Not ing these orders to the bank in a baby cart each week­ only with printing, but likewise our Biology Labs. day. He not only introduced me to the American Ama­ Charlie was a carpenter by trade. He built display teur Press Association, but also to Joe Curran of Ver­ cases for one of the local shoe factories that were com­ milion, Ohio. Joe had a 6x10 C&P desktop press for mon in Portsmouth until the 1970s or 1980s. He didn’t sale. J. Hill took me to a National APA meeting in Cin­ really enjoy the printing part as much as he enjoyed cinnati, where I met the press and a few other ajayers. taking old type cases and restoring them nearly to the With this little press I started printing small items for level of art in his woodworking shop out in his garage the AAPA bundle and miniature books. J. Hill and I in West Portsmouth. He even enjoyed taking old type messed around with making our own paper and figur­ and sorting and cleaning it. I believe he was in both ing out homemade tools for binding our books. It was APA and AAPA. I so enjoyed my active years in the printing and ajay world, it so enriched my life. It gave me a trip to a dif­ ferent city each year, for the convention. It was so much fun meeting all the characters in each group—Lee Hawes, Les Boyer, Fred Liddle, Harry Spence, Dave Tribby, Len Carrick (aka Dr. Screamdrill), the Wessons, Gary Bossler, Jack Scott, and Guy Miller, to name a few. My letterpress equipment all went to Athens, Ohio last July. It went to the alma mater of AAPA member Ted Conover, Ohio University. A young fellow by the name of Darren Baker, who worked at our local mu­ seum (Southern Ohio Museum and Cultural Center) obtained an MFA and is an assistant professor there. He inquired two or three years ago if I would be inter­ ested in selling him any type to help set up a working book/printing/papermaking program at OU. I trusted Darren that it would all be actually used, and ended up At the 2003 AAPA convention in Tampa, Florida: J. Hill Hamon, donating all the letterpress equipment I had to his mu­ Jack & Maurine Scott, Linda Donaldson, Annabel & Guy Miller seum. I haven’t been to see it yet, but he told me last I take secret pride in knowing I influenced at least August it had been used since the first day of class. I one local poet turned printer. I hosted the AAPA Con­ am so happy to hope it will never go to a scrap yard. I vention in Portsmouth in 1985 and this young poet have said for years I hoped to be merely a custodi­ showed up after reading about it in the local newspa­ an—all my equipment would be passed on to the next per. It was years later before I learned Brian Richards, generation of creative souls. I also passed along a who probably never joined any ajay group, had started couple boxes of AAPA bundles to hopefully let them producing his own poetry books by letterpress. see what REAL writing and printing look like! Possibly Somewhere along the line, while attending an some day I can dump some Fossils in his lap also! AAPA convention in Ohio or Kentucky, I was intro­ I’m not sure when I became a Fossil, though I often duced to Austin Jones of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. feel like a dinosaur in these rapidly changing days. I He has been instrumental in setting up a printing mu­ still print things, but it’s all digital, with a computer seum as part of the huge Heritage Farm Museum and and Xerox digital press. Not always as satisfying as Village in Huntington, West Virginia. I would go one what I could create with an old press and some type, day a year when this village would come alive with but still fun. I sit and think of all the ajay characters live demonstrations of all manner of nearly­abandoned who helped mold me, entertain me. I was once honored living skills. I obtained a beautiful little 5x8 Pearl floor when a colorful local character (Rich Arthur) who did model press from him, which I used for several of my letterpress work for all the local print shops, commen­ miniature books. It has now gone back to Heritage ted he could tell things I had typeset, when I was Farm for future generations to see. Austin and his wife working in the offset print shop for Karl Williams’ Jean took up printing miniature books also. He was a daughter. I told him it was because I wasn’t like all the retired IBM typewriter repairman who acquired skills young whipper­snapper graphic designers. I was necessary for the IT world of today. He has been in taught by all the amateurs in my life, who often had AAPA and the Amalgamated Printers Association, little to work with! A dinosaur with lots of toys these though enjoys the technical requirements of APA more days. All in a couple of “boxes.” But it’s not the same as than the writing tendencies of AAPA! I don’t see much the smell of ink, and letters delicately “smashed” onto of Austin and Jean these days, though we run into each lovely paper. other on Facebook fairly regularly. Editor’s note: Linda Donaldson I felt honored and pleased to go to Madison, Wis­ joined The Fossils in 1985 and consin for Amateur Journalism Conference 2016 and be served as official editor from 1997 among the first group to observe the Library of Ama­ to 2004. She served in a number teur Journalism at the University’s Special Collections. of AAPA offices, including four Since I worked as a professional librarian for almost 8 terms as mailer between 1981 and years, it was extra special. I can now brag that some of 1986, two as official editor (1990­ my and my friends’ works are in a special place for fu­ 92) and three as president (1993­ ture preservation. I keep saying I will make a monetary 96). donation for this, and keep not doing it. Shame on me. Page 2 THE FOSSIL — April 2020 Barry Schrader Ill Bill Boys Recovering From by Dave Tribby February Stroke FOSSIL BARRY SCHRADER received a distressing diagnosis by Dave Tribby in mid­February: pancreatic cancer. After consulting with his doctor, Barry decided it was so far advanced FOSSIL BILL BOYS suffered a stroke on February 13 and that he would forego any further treatment.
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