Spring Work at the Press...

St Brigid Press has just finished its first commission -- this letterpress-printed frontispiece that opens the donor appreciation book for the Waynesboro Public Library. The Library just completed some major renovations, and the Friends of the Library put together this book to tell the story of the branch's history and to thank the folks who made the construction possible. An acquaintance (and Friends-member) asked if I could letterpress-print an inspiring quote to go in the front of the book. The Friends committee chose a wonderful quote by Carl Rowan, one of the most important American journalists of the 20th century:

"The library is the temple of learning, and learning has liberated more people than all the wars in history."

The theme of the library's capital campaign was "The Giving Tree"/"Branching Out." Tree images and Rowan's wisdom combined to inspire a design that would highlight both learning and leaves, growth and inner light. I first set the text (24 point Garamond Italic) and printed it on 100% cotton paper with a soft fawn tint.

Next came experimentation with printing the leaves. I had read about such a technique in John Ryder's wonderful 1955 book "Printing for Pleasure." So, one bright morning I grabbed a basket and went for a long walk around the beautiful 10 acres where I live. This piece of Virginia Blue Ridge valley is a mixture of woods and field, and has a surprising variety of trees. This, in conjunction with an early and robust Spring, gifted me with many young leaves to work with. The night before my excursion we'd had a sturdy windstorm, so I did not have to look further than the ground at my feet for specimens. I gathered a good sampling from oaks, pines, poplars, etc, and brought them back to the shop. After mixing and rolling out a warm-brown oil-based ink, I carefully placed each little leaf on the ink, pressed lightly, then transferred the leaf to the press. Placed ink-side-up, each leaf was then cranked through the press and printed on light tan cotton paper.

The detail possible with this technique was amazing. Each tiny vein and stem and curve was imaged. The character of each species was reflected in almost radiographic quality -- when I practiced using black ink, it looked similar to an x-ray. What an incredible way to experience the miracle of trees!

The last part of the project was to typeset and print the colophon: the "note or the finishing stroke in a book usually found on the final [page] and giving details of the author, printer, date and place where printed" (John Ryder's definition).

This was a wonderful project to work on, and I'm very grateful to Latane Long and the Friends of the Waynesboro Library for giving me the opportunity. I had a lot of fun, learned a great deal, and was very glad to contribute to our library.

"The Wearin' o' the Green..."

"Dear March, come in -- how glad I am…" writes Emily Dickinson, and indeed we are welcoming the new month and its new growth with new projects here at St Brigid Press:

The print shop is housed in a small room that has served as a laundry room, dog kennel, and storage space -- so there is much cleaning (and cleaning out) to do! I've been taking up the old, dusty carpet, putting down rubber mats at work stations, and hauling assorted "stuff" to the shed (where it will wait to be either recycled, given away, or dumped).

This week I have also been cleaning and sanding some sturdy old type cabinets and cases, in preparation for repainting (Hershey is inspecting the sanding job in the above picture). Not sure where they originally came from, but sometime in their history they were given coats of (to me) gastly colors -- lime green, grey, bright orange-red, teal, and crimson! Yikes! We're going to calm things down with a nice uniform application of a color called "Cedar Path Green." Ahhh…. When finished, these cabinets will house St Brigid Press' collection of metal type and ornaments.

Thanks be for sun and warmth for a day of painting under the poplar tree!

An Afternoon with Emily Dickinson

I spent this beautiful winter's afternoon in the printing studio with Emily Dickinson. We enjoyed each other's company, along with tea and National Public Radio, and co-created a nice little letterpress print.

The poem I chose to work with is the same one as appears in the previous post, that begins "There is no frigate like a book..." This was one of my most-loved Dickinson poems as a child, and I have been wanting to set it fully by hand and print it on the Poco press. It was great fun (much laughter as I studied the first proof and found several typographical errors, including upside-down letters), and I learned a lot about the process of setting type, locking it up in the chase, and experimenting with registration.

And with the wonderful poem itself for constant and spirited companion, what a joyful time indeed!

Here are a few more pictures of the process:

The New (Old!) Printing Press, part

Here is the little press on its stand in my studio (quite the adventure wrangling the 200 pound piece of cast iron out of the car, onto a makeshift dolly, and into the basement room, but we managed!).  The bed of the press, the flat part where the moveable metal or wood type is arranged and locked and upon which the paper to be printed is placed, measures 12"X18". When the crank is turned, the bed moves under the cylinder and "presses" the paper onto the inked type. Voila! A print!

On New Year's Day I pulled a first print, which you can see in the above picture (sort of). The image is of an old clipper ship. The text is the first line of one of my favorite Emily Dickinson poems: "There is no Frigate like a Book..." (The whole poem is viewable at the bottom of this post.)

The Happy Printer:

A poem by Emily Dickinson:

"There is no frigate like a book

To take us lands away,

Nor any coursers like a page

Of prancing poetry.

This traverse may the poorest take

Without oppress of toll;

How frugal is the chariot

That bears a human soul!"

The New (Old!) Printing Press, part 1

  Here is a look at St Brigid Press' very first printing press, the Poco  Proof Press, made in Chicago, circa 1910. These two images were sent to me by the gentleman I bought the press from, John Falstrom in Connecticut. A delightful, extremely knowledgeable man, John spent hours showing me this press, as well as his outstanding print studio with Golding presses and equipment of all sorts, and teaching me the basics. His wife, Angie, is an amazing watercolor artist, and together they comprise the fine arts studio "Perennial Designs" (take a look at their wonderful website, listed to the left under "Friends of St Brigid Press" links).

Welcome, Welcome!

This is the beginning of St Brigid Press online. Pictures of the press(es) and commentary will follow as we get up and running here at Arbora Studios! Blessings to all,

St Brigid Press