Private Presses & Their Printers

PRIVATE PRESSES & THEIR PRINTERS TWO PRESSES OF THE 19TH CENTURY The Press of Padre Antonio José Martínez, 1835–ca. 1859 Laguna Mission Press, John Menaul, 1877–1889 BETWEEN THE WARS, 1918–1939 The Press of Gustave Baumann, 1918–1971 Clark’s Studio, Willard Clark, 1929–1942 and 1982–1992 Ranchos Press, Joseph O’Kane Foster, ca. 1935–1940 The Laughing Horse Press, Walter Willard “Spud” Johnson, 1927–ca. 1939 The Rydal Press, Walter Goodwin, 1933–1941 Seton Village Press, Maurice and Marceil Taylor, 1938–1943 WAR TO PEACE, 1940–1955 The Laboratory of Anthropology, ca. 1935–ca. 1947 Hazel Dreis Editions, 1939–1947 Libros Escogidos, Edward McLean, 1941–1947 Pictograph Press, Dorothy Stewart, 1948–1953 Motive Book Shop, Judson Crews, 1947–1966 Padre Antonio José Martínez, 1793–1867, New Mexico’s earliest known daguerrotype. Date unknown. Courtesy of The Albuquerque Museum CHANGING TIMES, 1956–1975 Stagecoach Press, Jack Rittenhouse, 1962–1968 The Lightning Tree, Jene Lyon and Jetta Carleton Lyon, 1973–1991 Thistle Press, Jason Kellahin, 1973–ca. 1996 The Bobcat Press, Dick Hicks, 1974–1993 Rini Templeton, 1960–1974 Vinegar Tom Press, Andy Gregg, 1968–1972 INTO THE PRESENT The Press of the Palace of the Governors, Pamela Smith, 1976–2001 Tom Leech, 2001–present Tooth of Time Books, John Brandi, 1973–present Rydal Press Revival, Clark Kimball, 1985–ca. 1995 Amaranth Press, Linnea Gentry, 1980–1983 Running Women Press, Paula Hocks, 1978–2003 Weaselsleeves Press, Janet Rodney, 1987–present Desert Rose Press, Clifford Burke and Virginia Mudd, 1989–present Dates reflect the years these private presses and publishers were active in New Mexico. Gustave Baumann, 1913, at his Washington Press, Nashville, Indiana. Courtesy of Ann Baumann, Santa Rosa, California ON EXHIBIT AT THE PALACE Ramage, ca. 1820 Bobcat, 1976 Midget Reliance, ca. 1900 Kelsey Excelsior, ca.1900 Kelsey Star, 1890 Mimeograph Machine, ca. 1909 SUGGESTED READING Bulletin in Bold Characters by Maurice Taylor, The Press of the Palace of the Governors, 1990 Gustave Baumann: Hand of a Craftsman by David Acton, Museum of New Mexico Press, 1996 Gustave Baumann: Nearer to Art by Martin F. Krause, Madeline Carol Yurtseven and David Acton, Museum of New Mexico Press, 1993 The Heart’s Precision, Judson Crews and His Poetry by Wendell Anderson, Dumont Press, 1994 Reflections in the Lizard’s Eye by John Brandi, Western Edge Press, 2000 Santa Fe and Taos, The Writer’s Era 1916–1941 by Marta Weigle and Kyle Fiore, Ancient City Press Press, 1982 Spud Johnson & Laughing Horse by Sharyn Udall, University of New Mexico Press, 1994 Willard Clark, Printer and Printmaker by David Farmer, Four–O Publishing, 2000 Santa Fe artist Louie Ewing, collaborated on Laboratory of Anthropology projects. Photograph by Edward Weston, courtesy of Mark Ewing, Santa Fe THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS: Sally & Donald Anderson Grant from the James Tolcott Fund, New York Community Trust John & Carol Barker The Laughlin & Rene Barker Family Brindle Foundation Friends of the Palace Richard Hertz & Doris Meyer Institute of Museum and Library Services Lannan Foundation Katherine H. Loo Museum of New Mexico Foundation New Mexico Humanities Council We The People The Palace Guard Jacqueline & Richard Schmeal Taste of Santa Fe John Brandi, ca. 1978, at his 1909 Rotary Neostyle mimeograph machine. Photograph by Masa Soseki, courtesy of Tooth of Time Books THANK YOU ALSO TO OUR GUEST READERS: Governor & Mrs. Bill Richardson Ali MacGraw N. Scott Momaday Sister Mary Rosita Shiosee, S.B.S. John Nichols Wes Studi Marsha Mason AND TO OUR PARTNERS: New Mexico State Library TREX, Traveling Exhibitions Program Literacy Volunteers of Santa Fe New Mexico Highlands University Museum Outreach Department Janet Rodney at the Weaselsleeves Press, ca. 1989. Photograph by Nathaniel Tarn. Courtesy of Weaselsleeves Press, Santa Fe LASTING IMPRESSIONS THE PRIVATE PRESSES OF NEW MEXICO I say, stay with it. Because in this age of the Internet what you’re doing may be the most important thing in the world; you are keeping the book alive, that wonderful portable indispensable old-fashioned commodity, purveyor of knowl- edge and delight—printed pages between covers. —Jetta Carleton Lyon, The Lightning Tree, 1991 LASTING IMPRESSIONS is a journey across two cen- turies of literary history as it introduces the people of New Mexico’s private press movement, their work and their tools. As you wander through a letterpress shop, bookbindery and woodcut artist’s studio, Lasting Impressions offers a glimpse of handcrafted private press- work and conveys the importance of the technology in the lives of the artisans. Realizing the future of electron- ics in this setting, the exhibition ends by opening a new chapter in the New Mexico private press movement. The books on exhibit cannot be found in regular book- stores or on bestseller lists. They inhabit a world of risk and adventure, where artistic integrity is more important to their makers than mass appeal, and unknown writers have the opportunity to find an audience despite their lack of commercial potential. Perhaps you have seen the books, touched the sumptu- ous papers and binding fabrics, taken delight in the typography and illustrations, sunk deeply into pages printed on a letterpress. Perhaps you’ve wondered about the people who take such care in crafting the works and who are so inspired by writings that they dedicate their lives to this artistic form. Those who own and operate the private presses have been called the true autocrats of literature. Quietly work- ing, tucked away behind their presses, these skilled artisans involve themselves in nearly every phase of book production. Combining technical know-how with artistic talents, they produce limited edition books valued as much for their beauty as for their content. Private presses have been around since the invention of printing. Some trace the inspiration of the private press movement to a time before the invention of the printing press, to monastic scriptoria, where monks dedicated to preserving important religious and philosophical works labored to produce exquisitely hand-lettered and illuminated manuscripts. After the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century, private presses took on new signifi- cance as bastions of scholar- ship and artistry amidst the poor quality of mass- produced books. British COMMON PRESS designer William Morris established high standards of craftsmanship at his private Kelmscott Press. By the early 20th century, private presses were in operation throughout this country, including New Mexico, where the work took on a frontier inventiveness as widely varied as the individuals who created it. THE FIRST PRINTING PRESSES in New Mexico were closely associated with the church, and the books printed on them were more useful than artistic. Padre Antonio José Martínez, the curate of Taos, acquired New Mexico’s first press in 1834 and produced religious and political materials, as well as school primers. Presbyterian missionary John Menaul established Laguna Mission Press, where he printed the first English translations of Keres, the Laguna Pueblo language, again in a book more functional than fine. Aesthetic considerations came later, when large num- bers of artists and writers began coming to New Mexico after the turn of the century. Their books benefited from the combination of literary and visual talents, and reflected a new- comer’s enthusiasm for the Southwest. Artists WASHINGTON HANDPRESS WASHINGTON Gustave Baumann and Willard Clark produced mas- terful woodcut images of regional subjects, while Edward McLean and Hazel Dreis hand bound books beautifully. Together, painter Louie Ewing’s silkscreen illustrations and Merle Armitage’s bold typography created a new look for Laboratory of Anthropology publications. Following World War II, New Mexico’s population increased, and the arts became more international. The private press movement responded. The focus turned outward, and southwestern topics gave way to a broader range of subjects. New literary voices were introduced, along with nationally and internationally recognized poets and authors. Taos activist Rini Templeton used her graphic talents to call for social change. Paula Hocks at Running Women Press brought a postmodernist sensibility to her collaged artist books. Janet Rodney’s Weaselsleeves Press explored the conceptual realm of language. Though the interests and motives of private press own- ers have varied widely, the majority of those in New Mexico came out of a similar background, having developed their skills in commercial publishing before striking out on their own—in spite of the CYLINDER PRESS economic folly of it. All have shared an enduring love of the book and a commitment to time-honored tech- niques from which they create works of art that you can hold in your hands. We persist as if assigned, to desire this construction that fits the hand and the mind and the eye, that satisfies some need for personal possession—not of something manufac- tured, but something made, that relates to a set of inner legends we fear may be lost. —Paula Hocks, Running Women Press, 1993 Lasting Impressions: The Private Presses of New Mexico was developed at the Palace of the Governors with guest curator Pamela Smith, the former director of The Press of the Palace of the Governors, and Thomas Leech, the current director. The exhibition was designed by John Tinker, with graphics by Luba Kruk and David Mendez. The exhibition, which will continue at at the Palace through February 7, 2007, is the basis for extensive outreach program- ming funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Look for related books and special events at public libraries and local museums throughout New Mexico. www.privatepress.org PLATEN PRESS PLATEN.

Load more