Lexington,KY. Started in 1952 by an association of individuals (including Joseph Graves,Carolyn Reading Hammer, and Harriet McDonald Holladay) motivated by the work of Victor Hammer. The press is associated with Translyvania College.
Eden, NY. Started by Spencer Kellogg Jr. in Buffalo, when he obtained a William Morris hand press. Kellogg then moved to the village of Eden in the late 1920s. His first book The Ghost Ship by Richard Middleton was selected by the American Institute of Graphic Arts as one of the fifty books of the year in 1925-26.
San Francisco, CA. Started in1958 by David Haselwood, he later brought Andrew Hoyem in as a partner. Most books were handset and dealt with modern poetry. It issued 28 titles. The press finally closed in 1965.
Grosse Point Park, then moved to Harper Woods, MI. Started in 1956 by Leonard F. Bahr, the Adagio Press concentrated on small books and booklets. In an announcement for the press, it stated that once purpose for the Adagio Press was the practice of typography as an end in itself. It was started because Bahr had a fascination with fine types and unusual papers, and it continued because of a desire to use them in the production of small books and pamphlets. The press ended with Bahr's death in 1993.
Lyons, Limoges, Paris, France. Barbou was a family of printers that worked in France from the 16th to 19th century. It started with Jean Barbou in 1539 who printed in the city of Lyons. His son, Hugh Barbou, moved to Limoges and in 1580 printed Cicero's Letters to Atticus. In the 1700s, Jean Joseph Barbou and his brother Joseph established themselves as booksellers and printers in Paris. In the 1750-1760s, their nephew, Joseph Gerard Barbou, took over the press and began to publish a series of Latin classics that was well received for its quality.
Oakland, CA. Expert in John Baskerville publications and the history of bibliography. He started the Nova Press in Piedmont, CA. He is president emeritus of the Book Club of California.
Newtown, PA. Started by Henry Morris in 1958. Morris originally began by creating hand made paper as a hobby. This then lead to his interest in printing on such paper. His first edition was a booklet on cooking. This is now one of the oldest private presses in the country. All his books are made by letterpress from metal type and the books are hand bound.
Reno, NV. Started by Kenneth Carpenter in 1965. It is named after a northern Nevada landmark. The press is dedicated to fine printing using traditional printing methods. It uses a 1837 Columbian iron handpress. Its first book was Springing of the Blade (poems by William Everson).
Placerville, CA. Started by Dr. Edmund E. Simpson in 1956. After retiring from his medical practice, Dr. Simpson bought a handpress and began his fine printing press.
New York, NY. Started by James R. Wells, who ran it until 1929, when it was managed by William Edwin Rudge.
Bremen, Toelz, and Munich, Germany. Started in 1911 by Dr. Willy Wiegand and Ludwig Wolde. it was influenced by the Doves Press of England. The Bremer Press refused to use ornamentation in its publications except for title pages and initials. Wiegand was a master printer who designed its printing type. It is considered as one of Germany's premier presses and was destroyed in World War II.
Wymondham, Leicestershire, England. It was started by Trevor C.Hickman in 1963. It stayed in business until 1983.
New York.
Carmel-by-the-Sea. CA. It operated from 1936-1982. In the early years of the press, it produced periodicals such as the Carmel Cymbal, Maston's Gazette, and the Pacific Weekly.
Reno, NV. Kenneth J. Carpenter worked on handpresses at University of California, Berkeley, where he worked in the Rare Book Department until 1962. He then moved to the University of Nevada, Reno. While an associate library director at UNR, in 1965 he purchased a Columbian press from Nottingham, England for $560. Carpenter then established the Black Rock Press at the university. The first book issued by the press was William Everson's Springing of the Blade. Carpenter retired in 1980 and died in 1999, but the Black Rock Press continues to publish.
Newwark, NJ. Formed in 1908. It was named in honor of Philip Carteret (first colonial governor of New Jersey). The club dissolved in 1957. Its mission was to bring together collectors and printers and others interested in fine printing
Los Angeles, CA. William Murray Cheney (1907-2002) was an author, a typesticker, and a printer for UCLA from 1962-1974. He is well known for his miniature books.
Paris, France. A French family of printers that started in Lyons in the 1500s and migrated to Paris by the 1800s.
Guildfort, Surrey, England. Started by Ronald King in 1966
Oxford, England. This is Oxford University's distinctive scholarly press.
Parma, Italy.
San Francisco, CA. Started by Jane Grabhorn
New York, NY. Started publishing by Crosby Gaige in 1927 of leading authors, including James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Joseph Conrad and William Butler Yeats. Twenty-two titles were produced before the Wall Street Crash of 1929 wiped out the printing company. He later printed a few books under the Watch Hill Press in Westchester County, NY.
Chicago, IL. Started by John F. Cuneo in 1919 when he took over the Henneberry bookmaking company and in 1923 he began the Cuneo Printing Company to manufacture Sears catalogs.
Phoenix, AZ. Started by Joseph J. D'Ambrosio in 1969. He sets his own type, as well as designing, illustrating and binding his books.
Parma, Italy.
Parma, Italy.
Oxford, England. Started by Dr. Charles Henry Olive Daniel (1836-1919), he purchased an Albion Press in 1882 while at Worcester College at Oxford. He printed more than 50 books between 1882 and 1903
Los Angles. CA. Started in 1905 by Ernest Dawson, it is the oldest bookstore in Los Angeles. In 1947, at the death of Ernest, his two sons Muir and Glen took over the shop. Muir's son Michael took over the business in 1995, Dawson's Book Shop has published 400 books. It issued the first catalogue of rare books in Los Angeles in 1907.
Cambridge, MA.
New York, NY. Started by Ernest F. Eilert in 1913, it was a printing business until 1986. In 1949, it printed The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor for the Limited Editions Club.
London, England. Started by Lucien Pssarro in 1894, this press lasted until 1914, but only seventeen editions were issued. It is noted for its woodblock prints.
Mount Vernon, NY. Founded by S.A. Jacobs in the twenties, it was most prolific from 1935- 1946
San Francisco, CA.
Lexington, KY. Started by Joseph C. Graves in 1949, the last book issued under Graves was in 1958. However, after Graves' death in 1960, an additional book was issued by Bob Middleton in 1967 using the Gravesend Press.
San Francisco, CA.
Wales. Started in 1922 by Gwendoline and Margaret Davies. It was a noted private press of the time. In 1978, it was re-established by the University of Wales under the name Gwasg Gregynog.
New York, NY. The Grolier Club was started in 1884 by a group of book lovers with the object "the literary study and promotion of the arts pertaining to the production of books, including the occasional publication of books designed to illustrate, promote and encourage those arts..." (Grolier Club Constitution). It has been producing books since its first publication in 1884.
Boston, MA. The Harvard University Press was started in 1913 under the direction of C.C. Lane. Since then it has had a number of directors and continues to publish today.
Woodside, CA. Started by Robin Heyeck in 1976. All its limited edition books are printed with metal type printed on dampened handmade paper and bound in hand-marble paper or silk and signed and numbered by the author. As well as fine press work, it specializes in poetry.
San Francisco, CA. The antiquarian book shop was started in 1912 by John Howell, and continued operation under his son Warren Howeell until his death in1984. John Howell Books was a sponsor of fine printing in the San Francisco area, most notably the Western Americana series of 34 limited editions.
Florence, CA. Started by Lewis and Dorothy Allen. They worked under this name from 1946-53 using an 1830 Acorn-Smith handpress. Dorothy Allen would handbind the books.
London, England. Started by the Royal College of Arts, London. It is a bibliographical press.
San Francisco, CA. Lawton R. Kennedy (1900-1980) printed books between 1934 to 1972), oten with his brother Alfred. They both worked as pressmen for John Henry Nash. Lawton Kennedy, the "blasphemerous clampastor and clampublisher, roving printer and night-watchman" was a member of E. Clampus Vitus, a fraternal order devoted to the preservation of western U.S. history. He is noted for printing books on the western states.
San Francisco, CA
Boston, MA. Started by Daniel Berkely Updike in 1893. it developed its own font types. Its most elegant work is considered to be the Book of Common Prayer it produced in 1930. The press finally closed in 1941.
New York.
Piedmont, CA, then Oakland, CA. Started by William P. Barlow, Jr.
New Fairfield, CT. Started in 1948 by Bruce Rogers, this was the name of his studio.
Oxford, England. Started by Oxford University, it has published books since the late 1400s.
Patterson, NJ. It has been publishing books since 1938.
Pittsburgh, PA. Master book binder, Thomas Patterson worked for the Hunt Botanical Library.
Mount Vernon, NY. Started by Peter Beilenson in 1928, it is known for its miniature books. It continues publishing today.
New York, NY. Started by Elmer Adler in 1922. It was named for the 16th century printer, Richard Pynson. He printed The Colophon, A Book Collector's Quarterly from 1930-40.
New York, NY. Started in 1928 by Bennett Cerf (1898-1971) and Donald Klopfer with Elmer Adler as typographical advisor. Cerf claimed it obtained its name when they decided they would publish a few books on the side at random. Its first book was Voltaire's Candide. In 1933, Random House won a major censorship case when it fought the government's obscenity seizure of James Joyce's Ulysses in the U.S.A.
Straford-on-Avon, then moved to Oxford, England. Started by Arthus Henry (A. H.) Bullen, an Elizabethan scholar, in 1904. Frank Sidgwick was brought in as junior partner and stayed until 1907. At Bullen's death in 1920, the press was taken over by Benjamin H. Blackwell of Oxford. After Benjamin's death in 1924, Basil Blackwell moved the press to that Oxford in 1929. It continued to publish until 1942 (although in 1975, Basil Blackwell for the Shakespeare Head Press issued a limited edition of 1000 copies of Frank Sidgwick's diary).
Greenock, Scotland. Started by Thomas Rae in 1956, its first publication was booklet on Thomas Bewick, Wood Engraver.
Portland, ME. It was started by Reverend Francis Southworth in 1875 under the name Southworth Press. Fred Anthoensen {1882-1969) joinded in 1901, becoming the managing director in 1917, and finally becoming a partner in 1934. At that point, the company was renamed the Southworth-Anthoensen press and finally in 1944, it became the Anthoensen press. The press finally closed in 1987.
Florence, Italy, then Lexington, KY. Started by Victor Hammer in 1929 in Florence, the name means Press of St. Santuccio. When he finally moved to Transylvania College in 1948, he restarted his press. He designed his own typeface.
Berkeley, CA. Started in 1953 by Roger Levenson.
New Fairfield, CT. Started by Bert Clarke and David Way in 1950. Bruce Rogers was associated with the press.
Berkeley, CA. He printed small volumes yearly at Christmas between 1948 and 1977.
Herrin, IL. Started in 1908 by Hal and Violet Trovillion. This press continued until 1958 and dealt with reprinting publications from the 1400 -1500.
Austin, TX. W. Thomas Taylor started printing in 1981. He is an antiquarian book dealer, author, and printer.
Los Angeles, CA. Started by Ward Ritchie (1905-1996), it operated between 1932-1974. In 1957, once of Ward Ritchie's publication (Books: West Southwest; Essays on Writers, Their Books, and Their Land) was chosen by the American Institute of Graphic Arts as one of their "Fifty Books of the Year." Ward Ritchie also printed with Anderson, Ritchie & Simon.
Mount Vernon, NY. This print house was inherited from his father by William Edwin Rudge (1876-1931). He was an expert printer and typographer who started working at the plant at the age of 13.