Registration has opened for the sixteenth annual Book History Workshop at Texas A&M University, scheduled for 21-26 May 2017. Taking place at Cushing Memorial Library & Archives, the Workshop provides an intensive, hands-on introduction to the history of books and printing.  [Read more]

Invitation, designed and printed by Li Jiang at Lemoncheese Press. (Li Jiang)

APHA NorCal is joining forces with a whole fleet of other Bay Area organizations, listed below, to celebrate the contributions of APHA members Fred and Barbara Voltmer whose handpresses were refurbished or repaired by the Voltmers. Organizations include: Arion Press, American Bookbinders Museum, Book Club of California, Bridwell, Havilah Press, Jonathan Finegold, Mills College, Noble Impressions, Philoxenia, SF Center for the Book, SFPL Main, Rare Books Room, University of San Francisco, and Vallejo/McCuen. RSVP by February 23.

Front and back cover of Printing History 21. (Michael Russem)

Here’s a peek at Printing History 21, the first issue produced by the team of Brooke Palmieri, editor; Michael Russem, publication designer; and Katherine Ruffin, Vice-President for Publications.  [Read more]

L-R George Barnum, Government Publishing Office Agency Historian, Nina Schneider, APHA President, Lisa Unger Baskin. (Casey Smith)

At 2 pm, Saturday, January 28, The American Printing History Association’s Annual Meeting took place in the Trustees’ Room at the New York Public Library. Among the highlights was the presentation of the 2017 APHA Awards and the Mark Samuels Lasner Fellowship. The individual award was conferred to Lisa Unger Baskin and the institutional award was conferred to the U.S Government Publishing Office and accepted by George Barnum. The Mark Samuels Lasner Fellowship was awarded to Amanda Stuckey. 

Mark Samuels Lasner and his collection in the Morris Library. (Evan Krape/University of Delaware)

APHA’s own Mark Samuels Lasner, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Delaware Library and a collector of Victorian books, manuscripts, and artworks, recently donated his collection to the University of Delaware Library. To honor this gift, the library is putting on an exhibition “Victorian Passions: Stories from the Mark Samuels Lasner Collection,” curated by Margaret D. Stetz, on view in the Special Collections Gallery, UD Library, from February 14-June 3, 2017.  [Read more]

Do you know of an in individual or institution who has made or is making major contributions to printing history? The American Printing History Association presents two annual awards, one to an individual and one to an institution, as a way of recognizing “a distinguished contribution to the study, recording, preservation or dissemination of printing history, in any specific area or in general terms.”   [Read more]

From the Exlibris Listserv: 

We at Oak Knoll are very sad to announce the death of Bob Fleck on September 22 after a brief illness. Bob abandoned his job as a chemical engineer in 1976 to start Oak Knoll Books, focusing on books about books, book collecting, book arts, the history of printing, and bibliography. Two years later, he started publishing in the same field, beginning with a reprint of Bigmore and Wyman’s A Bibliography of Printing. 2016 marks the fortieth anniversary year of a company that has made an immeasurable contribution to the history of the book. It is also the nineteenth edition of the bi-annual Oak Knoll Fest, which will take place as scheduled September 30-October 2, as Bob wished. Bob was a past president of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA) as well as the past president of the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB/LILA). He will be sorely missed.

Matthew Young
Managing Editor
Oak Knoll Press

Comments

The 40th annual American History Association Conference at Rochester Institute of Technology is just days away. It’s certain to be a thrilling weekend of presentations, workshops, tours and camaraderie. See the revised program.

APHA is developing a history of printing timeline and would like your help to improve it. In accord with our mission, it includes all related arts and crafts: calligraphy, typefounding, typography, papermaking, bookbinding, illustration, and publishing. It also notes digital publishing, plus relevant laws and labor events. There are no plans to add graphics or manage external links. Please review and let us know what we left out or should cut. The editor welcomes all comments and suggestions.