I’m writing an article for the American Printing History Association Newsletter about the Vandercook centenary. The focus is on the various celebrations such as our Vandercook Centenary Print Exchange, the recently published Vandercook Book (currently on exhibit around the U.S.) and a series of panel discussions that were held at the Center for Book Arts in New York.
I would like to know if anyone else is planning a celebration. Anything goes: large or small, through a school or book arts center or you basement shop. Tell me about your naked Vandercooking marathon, your Fitzcarraldo-esque press restoration, or good old-fashioned beer-drinking-while-some-woman-plays-accordion cleaning party. Just lemme know. We still have six months to go!
The contact info didn’t come through on the above blurb re: SF Bay Area Vandercooking – you can get on the email newsletter at http://www.bccbooks.org for email updates
Or for a conversation about the Vandercook Potluck contact John McBride at johnmcbride94702@aol.com .
Hi all: in the San Francisco Bay Area, four organizations are collaborating on two September Vandercook centenary events.
The four collaborating orgs are:
- The Book Club of California (BCC)
- The San Francisco Center for the Book (SFCB)
- American Printing History Association, Northern California chapter (APHA)
- Pacific Center for Book Arts (PCBA)
1 – Reception for “The Vandercook Book” exhibition, on Monday, September 14, 5-7 pm, at The Book Club of California, 312 Sutter Street (at Grant), Fifth Floor, San Francisco 94108. http://www.bccbooks.org
2 – Vandercook Potluck, Wednesday, September 23, 5-8 pm, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, 300 De Haro (at 16th) 94103 http://www.sfcb.org
The American Printing History Association, NorCal chapter, will hold a Vandercook celebration at the SFCB. This tribute will focus on the special role the Vandercook has played in the book arts of the greater Bay Area over the last 40 years in both traditional and innovative printing, especially during the conversion from hot metal to photo and digital composition in the late 60s and early 70s.
Beginning with notable Bay Area Vandercook printers such as Jack Stauffacher (The Greenwood Press), Frances Butler & Alastair Johnston (The Poltroon Press), Betsy David (Rebis Press), and Johanna Drucker, we invite all those who print on the Vandercook to bring their works and join us for an evening of printing & conversation. Contact for more information or to be included on email updates for these two events.
I’d call that a party. Roni Gross made cookies that looked like crank handles for the Vandercook panel talks at CBA in New York. http://www.flickr.com/photos/promaine/3309778179/
Hi Paul
Not a party, but in honor of the centennial we made these cookies for the Seattle Edible Book Festival (which benefited Seattle Center for the Book Arts) — and I hope you don’t mind, we used your Vandercook #4 illustration as inspiration (our press is the #4).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/frybooks/3439720907/in/set-72157616637478739/
Lynnette & Jim
reddotpress.com (coming soon…)
Hi Paul:
I plan to have an open house in my garage print shop sometime this summer. I acquired a Vandercook No. 2 proof press this year, only to learn afterward of the 2009 centennial as well as the fact that my press is 80 years old this year, having shipped from the factory on April 30, 1929. I plan to invite the person who gave me the press, the guy from work who helped me move it, lots of interested friends and curious neighbors, and printmaker Rudy Pozzatti of Indiana University who owned the press for many years.
I have begun restoring the press by cleaning, scraping, sanding and oiling, and I still need to reset the cylinder timing. Until I find the appropriate size tympan, I have a sheet of mylar that works as a stand-in. I have some old six- and eight-inch wood-handled brayers that I want to send off for new rollers, and will incorporate them in my impromptu centennial celebration.
I plan to contribute 150 hand-inked commemorative pieces to the Amalgamated Printers’ Association bundle sometime before autumn. Hail Vandercook!
–David Smith
Smythe Productions, Ltd.
Bloomington, IN