Library of Congress : 25 and Counting
Selections from a Quarter Century of Collection Development
in Rare Book & Special Collections Division
Thursday, March 23, 2023 | 1:00 – 4:00pm
Where: Rare Book Reading Room & Rosenwald Room; Second Floor of the Jefferson Building
What: This expansive open house will feature landmark acquisitions and donations facilitated by Chief of RBSCD, Mark Dimunation, and his staff since his arrival at the Library of Congress in 1998. Selections will range from medieval manuscripts to twenty-first-century artists’ books. Don’t miss this unique and exciting opportunity to experience the objects, history, and stories behind two decades of collecting for the nation’s Library.
Lead Graffiti is offering its monthly FIRST FRIDAY EVE open studio Thursday, April 6. 5 – 8 pm. 120A Sandy Drive, Newark, DE.
NATIONAL NEWS at the American Printing History Association’s annual meeting included
The 2023 Mark Samuels Lasner Fellowship in Printing History was conferred to Val Lucas for her research into typecasting by Fellowship Committee: E. Haven Hawley, Chair; Johanna Drucker; Miriam Intrator.
⬇ Lauren Emeritz (Chesapeake Chapter’s new President), Jill Cypher, and Ray Nichols at the LIBRARY OF CONGRESS’ MAKING THE MODERN BOOK: THE ARAMONT LIBRARY CONFERENCE on January 19th (Edgar Allan Poe’s 214th birthday)
Chesapeake Chapter Notes
Chesapeake Chapter Notes is emailed monthly to members and friends of the Chesapeake Chapter of the American Printing History Association. Contributions are welcome and can be sent to George Barnum, Chapter Secretary.
At the bottom of this page, we show letterpress projects printed by Chapter members. If you print and are savvy about social media, hashtag your in-progress or completed works using #aphachesapeake.
The general plan is to limit images per member to 2.

We are happy to post up to 2 recent or important images of letterpress-related creative work by our printing members. If you are a chapter member and have work, you would like to submit an email with a digital image to Ray Nichols.
Recent images received will appear at the top. After a month, they will move into alphabetical order by printer’s name. We will limit each printer to 2 images or 3 if the work is particularly significant.
RECENT SUBMISSIONS (1)
⬇ JOHN & NANCY JOHNSON
Size : 15″ x 22″
Runs : 3 on a Washington iron hand press
Paper : Stonehenge
Details : Reduction woodcut in cherry
⬇ Jill Cypher & RAY NICHOLS : Lead Graffiti : Newark, DE
A2 Thank you cards for the Amos Lemon Burkhart Foundation.
Size : A2 folding thank you card
Paper : French 140# white
Runs : 2 (hand rolled background in 2 colors & gold)
Press : Vandercook Universal III
Client : Amos Lemon Burkhart Foundation
⬇ JILL CYPHER : Lead Graffiti : Newark, DE
Title : Found / See
Size : 12.75″ x 9″
Paper : Somerset Textured White 300gsm
Details : 2 runs with mica powder over paste paper
Size : 12.75″ x 9″
Paper : Somerset Textured White 300gsm
Details : 2 runs with mica powder over paste paper
This is a spread for a book entitled “Opposites,” a 14-artist collaborative book by members of the Upper Chesapeake Book Arts.
⬇ LAUREN EMERITZ : Abstract Orange : Washington, DC : Instagram
Runs : 4
Details : Wood cut printed via letterpress
⬇ LAUREN EMERITZ : Abstract Orange : Washington, DC
Title : Art is Play
Details : Wood cut printed via letterpress
⬇ ROLAND HOOVER : Pembroke Press : Bethesda, MD
Title : 2008 Chesapeake Chapter Roster
Details : Letterpress via handset metal type
⬇ VAL LUCAS : Bowerbox Press : Monkton, MD
Title : French Clarendon Specimen Sheet
Details : Letterpress via hand-set wood & metal type
⬇ VAL LUCAS : Bowerbox Press : Monkton, MD
Title : Sumac pressure print
Details : Wood cut 7 leaves
⬇ VAL LUCAS : Bowerbox Press : Monkton, MD
Details : Foundry border material design, carved, and cast by Val
⬇ CHRIS MANSON : Crooked Crow Press : Rockville, MD
Size : ?
Paper : Stonehenge
Details : handset metal type
⬇ RAY NICHOLS & JILL CYPHER : Lead Graffiti : Newark, DE
The Lead Graffiti book, “How Ink Writes Poetry,” was accepted to the Newark Arts Alliance exhibition entitled “In the Abstract.” The call for entries stated, “Work in any medium that depicts the subject matter in an unconventional and nonrepresentational manner.” The pages are “Ink Pulls” that we create using our Vandercook Universal III. The book has been purchased by the Library of Congress.
⬇ RAY NICHOLS & JILL CYPHER : Lead Graffiti : Newark, DE
Size : 14.5″ x 22.5″
Paper : Somerset Textured White 300gsm
Runs : 18
Details : handset metal type.
The bottom 16 lines are ghost printed without reinking.
Broadside to support the Ukraine International Relief Fund. Generated $1200.
⬇ GREG ROBISON : Peregrinus Press
Title : The Jesuit Motto
Details : Letterpress via hand-set metal type
⬇ GREG ROBISON : Peregrinus Press
Jesuit Zen
Letterpress via hand-set metal type
⬇ CASEY SMITH : Own Goal Press : Wilmington, DE
Title : New Suns
Details : Letterpress via hand rolling on tissue paper
⬇ CASEY SMITH : Own Goal Press : Wilmington, DE
Title : Zoom Cards
Type : Handset wood type and metal border materials
Runs : each sheet is printed in 2 colors
Details : Bottom image for each sheet is various forms of bubblewrap
View a co-operative print exchange by chapter members in 2021. Click to view.
View annual Chesapeake Chapter calendars. 2023. 2022. 2021. 2020. 2019. 2017. 2016.