A Bibliography of The Village Press 1903-1938, Including an Account of the Genesis of the Press by Frederic W. Goudy and a Portion of the 1903 Diary of Will Ransom, Co-Founder
New Castle, Delaware: Oak Knoll Books, Edward Ripley-Duggan, Nicholas T. Smith, (1981). Originally published in 1938. This is the 1981 reprint. Blue cloth 8vo. 205 pp. including index followed by 7 pp. Errata, Conclusion and Addenda. Tight, clean, very good, almost fine but for three small stains on the bottom edge of the text block. / Dust jacket is fine. Item #191
Illustrated with photographs. This bibliography documents the career of The Village Press with meticulous detail and insight. In a short memoir at the beginning of the book, Frederic W. Goudy gives an account of the vicissitudes of a printer's life that is certain to ring familiar with anyone who has experienced the "fun and fury" of a private press. The brief section from the diary of Will Ransom, co-founder of the press, gives some idea of the magnitude of the initial problems that were encountered. despite these difficulties, they were still able to produce books that were an able tribute to William Morris in many ways Goudy's chief inspiration in book design. The prss was no mere imitation of the Kelmscott Press, however. In the years of its operation it forged a style that was distinctly Goudy's
Frederic W. Goudy was perhaps the most influential type designer, English or American, of the twentieth century. His influence on advertising art and book design was considerable, and he became an artbiter of typographic taste for an entire generation between the wars. Part of the reason for his success lay with his practical knowledge of the problems of designer and printer. Much of this expertise was gained through his Village Press.
Price: $15.00