From APHA’s Facebook page:
I’m writing a piece on the reception of Swedish novelist Fredrika Bremer in the US in the 1840s, and have come across the printer and publisher Jonas Winchester. Is this a photograph of him, from Printing History 9 Number 1 1983? Is it possible to get hold of the article by James J. Barnes, “Jonas Winchester: Speculator, Medicine Man”, or can you tell me more about the photo?
Homes of American Authors (New York: G. P. Putnam & Co., 1853). (From the collection of the author)
It has become a commonplace to associate the industrial revolution in the United States with the emergence of a mass culture aimed at a popular and commercial marketplace and to characterize the output of American printers and publishers of the industrial era with such adjectives as “good, fast, and cheap.” Many accounts echo this assessment, pointing to a supposed “century-long quest to make books more quickly, more cheaply, and in greater numbers than ever before.” If not exactly pejorative, such assessments do not hold much promise for the connoisseur of high-quality fine printing. [Read more]
Via the contact form:
I have a rare booklet ca. 1891 titled Southern California a Few Facts About a Fortunate Country. The printer was Los Angeles Litho Co. Anybody know anything about this firm?
Regards, Jan Hanna
Used books adorning a printing press at Bókakjallarinn in Reykjavík. (A. Fontanel)
A winter vacation to Reykjavík, Iceland is a must if you want to trade cold Northern cityscapes for colder, but breathtaking, geothermal hot springs, ancient geysers, and a chance to view the Aurora Borealis. Those attractions were so alluring, but this printing historian was inevitably drawn to used bookshops and thrift stores for the true flavor of this capital city. My busman’s holiday led to a mini-tour of the letterpress establishments in town. [Read more]
Jonathan Wells presenting (Robert McCamant)
Michael Knies presenting (Robert McCamant)
Restored Columbian hand press, volunteer Tim Dunn at typewriter (Elizabeth Haven Hawley)
Frank Romano and a full staff at the Museum of Printing welcomed more than 40 people associated with “Good, Fast, Cheap: Printed Words & Images in America before 1900” for a post-conference tour on Sunday, October 8. Near the museum’s entry, an eagle-crested Columbian, resplendent with gold details and the lever-and-weight system that maximized the machine’s impression force, hinted at the equipment in the galleries. The contents did not disappoint! [Read more]
Betsy Raymond was a notable Northern California calligrapher and book artist. [Read more]
Michael Russem discusses an Isaiah Thomas title page—with and without ornament. (Robert McCamant)
Amanda Nelsen and Josef Beery presenting. (Robert McCamant)