My Early Presses

I've have an obsession with printing presses.

Where it came from is unknown as I never worked in a print shop, took printing classes in school or ever wanted a press. I do have a vague memory of my 1950s high school printshop. I wandered in and out a few times but always was told it wasn't for me as I was smart enough to go to college. I never looked back and my schooling lead me on to a path in the sciences, evolutionary biology to be specific. My career  mostly consisted of being an extended graduate school student, heavily into research, writing scientific papers and other such academic pursuits. I then met my wife who was an artist, about as far from the sciences as you can get. At the time she was pursuing her dream of becoming a jewelry designer. So with a bit of money and a lot of hard work we ended up opening a gallery where she could make jewelry and I could use my scientific background to solve whatever problems needed solving.

While on vacation in Michigan one hot summer, we haunted the antique stores. Deep in the recesses of one shop, I noticed a small press, totally rusty, but it was quite inexpensive, so home it went. I knew it had to be cleaned before being used for printing, so we looked up a sandblasting shop, brought it in, and an hour later I had a bare metal press. I was told to paint it as soon as possible otherwise it would quickly rust. A can of spray paint, some taping of parts which shouldn't be painted, and I had a press.

This first press was a Kelsey Excelsior 5x7. I read a few books, no internet at that time, and was ready to print. Bought a pair of rollers and gave it a try. I applied to the APA, was accepted, and printed a few pieces. I soon realized I  needed some help so I decided to take a class in letterpress. I enrolled at Artists' Book Works, at the time about the only place in Chicago to offer such classes. I took one, then another and another. Classes were small, taught by great people. My classmate for many of these classes was Amos Kennedy, Jr, who was learning his future craft.

I decided I wanted a larger press, so I attended an auction held at a closed printing plant, bid on and won a Vandercook  #4 for $75. A few years later,  needing space, I sold it for $300. Later, longing for another press, I bought a Model #3 for $65. Once again, a few years later I needed space, so out it went to reside at Paul Aiken's Museum, where it haunts me every time I see it. Along the way were the Kelseys, Sigwalts, and small Goldings. All are gone now.

It wasn't a good pattern, buy a press, sell a press. Of course, like so many that enter the field later in life, I never entertained the idea of making money. I missed my presses and I just wanted a new one. Many were available but settling on one which would have to last the rest of my life was a difficult choice.

In my life as a bookseller, many books pass through my hands every day. One day, in a box of books that I'd purchased was a copy of Printing with the Handpress by Lewis M. Allen. That was it, I wanted a handpress. Knowing the cost of such presses, reality soon dashed my desire. Oh well, I thought, maybe I'll win the lottery...

The Amazing Mr. Forgue - Part 2

Starting a bibliography of printed works looks easy; just collect all the printed works that Norman W. Forgue produced, printed, published, designed, etc. Simple? Not so.

One of the consequences of starting a project like this, is that little interesting  side paths appear without warning which demand attention.

One day I came across a 45 record that looked familiar. The red label read Stepheny Records, and it was produced in my home town. Coupled with the fact his daughter was named Stepheny, and that the label had the look of Forgue’s work, further exploration was necessary. An entirely new aspect of N.W.F.’s life was unveiled.

I soon discovered that he was indeed the publisher of a record label, which in its short life of less than four years (1956-1960), produced about 40 45 singles and 35 LPs. In that short period, they recorded Dixieland and other jazz along with rhythm & blues. Although most have been forgotten, one album does sell today for almost a thousand dollars.

Little other information was available. Although there were two discographies on the internet, both were filled with errors and incomplete. After several years of searching, I now have the correct information on about 75% of them. Hopefully, I may come across a collector of the label who will be able to help me fill in the blanks.

The Amazing Mr. Forgue - Part 1

"The Amazing Mr. Forgue" is how Norman W. Forgue is described by R. Hunter Middleton, one of the finest practitioners of the book arts in the past century. 

Who is Norman W. Forgue? 

I asked the same question about 10 years ago when I picked up and read a copy of Poorer Richard a short light hearted biography of a man who, without a background in art or literature, decided to become a printer and publisher of fine books. He printed and published under four different imprints, the most famous being The Black Cat Press. He never stopped - from his first book in 1933 until the last in the 1980s. At an age where most retire, he published about 100 miniature books, most in fine leather bindings. His output was prodigious. 

I've recorded over 1,000 items he either printed, published, wrote or otherwise was associated with. This information is rapidly disappearing, therefore a solid bibliography of his work is needed before much of this information simply passes away. Much of his work was ephemeral in nature but those are the ones that sometime tell the most about how an artist works. The vast majority of his output was published in runs of several hundred or fewer, several in the single digits.

As a bookseller I come in contact with vast number of books, and started collecting Forgue's work as I came across them. To date I've accumulated about 250 items. About 100 others are available but those are far too expensive for my budget. Most of the rest exist only as references in the literature. Several collections of his work and papers were given to various libraries and universities after his death and I hope to visit them to document in detail many of the items which I will never own.

After much consideration, I've decided to produce a bibliography of his work, at least the beginning of what I hope will be a much larger project. As to the form of this work, for now it will exist in bits and bytes, easier to publish and distribute. I also hope to include biographical material, which would mean talking to those who knew him, as well as his daughter, whom I believe was involved in his many pathways. As a labor of love, it will be a slow road as it will produce no income but I'll allow as much time as I can afford. If anyone reading this would like to reminisce about Norman Forgue, I'd be glad to listen. I'll be posting a list of publications for which I'm seeking information and would welcome input from anyone who wants to fill in the blanks with dates, photos, etc.