FINE PRESS EPHEMERA #8 : Harry Duncan and the UNO group of presses.
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1Glacierman
THIS IS THE THIRD OF THREE POSTS DEALING WITH SEVERAL PRESSES AT ONCE. This post deals with Harry Duncan and several of his students, who went on to establish presses of their own.
FIRST, CUMMINGTON PRESS, THE PRIVATE PRESS OF HARRY DUNCAN. Harry was a noted printer/book designer. A short bio is on Wikipedia. He moved the Cummington Press from its original home in Massachusetts to Iowa and took over the management of the U. Of Iowa lab press, then he moved to Omaha, Nebraska, and began managing their program, leaving the U. of Iowa program in the capable hands of Kim Merker.
ABBATOIR EDITIONS WAS THE NAME OF THE LABORATORY PRESS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA (UNO).
DENISE BRADY WAS ONE OF HARRY’S STUDENTS, AND SHE PUBLISHED UNDER HER OWN IMPRINT, BRADYPRESS.
YELLOW BARN PRESS. Neil Shaver began collecting printing equipment in 1958. He'd been interested in printing since taking a letterpress class in junior high school. In 1978, he enrolled in Harry Duncan's handmade book course at UNO and soon after began his Yellow Barn Press. We have one book from this press in our collection: The Parson-Printer of Lustleigh.
Thus endeth this three-parter. To follow: Cheloniidae Press.
FIRST, CUMMINGTON PRESS, THE PRIVATE PRESS OF HARRY DUNCAN. Harry was a noted printer/book designer. A short bio is on Wikipedia. He moved the Cummington Press from its original home in Massachusetts to Iowa and took over the management of the U. Of Iowa lab press, then he moved to Omaha, Nebraska, and began managing their program, leaving the U. of Iowa program in the capable hands of Kim Merker.
ABBATOIR EDITIONS WAS THE NAME OF THE LABORATORY PRESS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA (UNO).
DENISE BRADY WAS ONE OF HARRY’S STUDENTS, AND SHE PUBLISHED UNDER HER OWN IMPRINT, BRADYPRESS.
YELLOW BARN PRESS. Neil Shaver began collecting printing equipment in 1958. He'd been interested in printing since taking a letterpress class in junior high school. In 1978, he enrolled in Harry Duncan's handmade book course at UNO and soon after began his Yellow Barn Press. We have one book from this press in our collection: The Parson-Printer of Lustleigh.
Thus endeth this three-parter. To follow: Cheloniidae Press.
2Glacierman
Just added the Yellow Barn Press.
3Glacierman
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4H-M
Duncan's essay (from a talk) "The Technology of Hand Printing" is a useful read for anyone interested in letterpress/fine press, and a beautiful example of its argument. It was issued by Abattoir and also included in the collection The Doors of Perception, published by Thomas Taylor in both a limited edition and (quite lovely) paperback.
It's interesting to note that while the printers who proceeded from Duncan's teaching generally did not choose to use a handpress, they at least all printed damp. It makes a difference.
It's interesting to note that while the printers who proceeded from Duncan's teaching generally did not choose to use a handpress, they at least all printed damp. It makes a difference.
5DenimDan
Thanks for the thread, Glacierman! I've never seen those ephemera before.
Harry Duncan is one of the most important figures in 20th c. American private presses, in so many ways. The Cummington Press with its 3 absolutely wonderful Wallace Stevens books; Robert Lowell's first book; William Carlos Williams' "The Wedge" and "The Cloud"; and much later (and one of my favorites) Joe Bolton's "Breckinridge County Suite", the only book of his published in his short lifetime. That Duncan could see Lowell's greatness in 1944 and Bolton's in 1989 is evidence of his eye for poetry. Even some of the (still) unknowns that he published under Abattoir are very good.
"The Doors of Perception" is a fantastic book; I really need to buy one of the trade copies before I wear out the fine one! My favorite chapter is "My Master, Victor Hammer." Duncan was clearly a master of book design, even as early as 1944, but in this chapter he reveals his deeply self-critical view, almost embarrassed that he ever "bothered" Victor Hammer. His student K.K. Merker also had this same trait concerning his own work.
Duncan seemed to have a hand in most of the fine printing that didn't happen on the coasts. Even Walter Hamady, who would go on to found the Perishable Press in Wisconsin, only realized the potential of books when he was introduced to Harry Duncan and his work while in Iowa City visiting relatives in the late 50s.
Harry Duncan is one of the most important figures in 20th c. American private presses, in so many ways. The Cummington Press with its 3 absolutely wonderful Wallace Stevens books; Robert Lowell's first book; William Carlos Williams' "The Wedge" and "The Cloud"; and much later (and one of my favorites) Joe Bolton's "Breckinridge County Suite", the only book of his published in his short lifetime. That Duncan could see Lowell's greatness in 1944 and Bolton's in 1989 is evidence of his eye for poetry. Even some of the (still) unknowns that he published under Abattoir are very good.
"The Doors of Perception" is a fantastic book; I really need to buy one of the trade copies before I wear out the fine one! My favorite chapter is "My Master, Victor Hammer." Duncan was clearly a master of book design, even as early as 1944, but in this chapter he reveals his deeply self-critical view, almost embarrassed that he ever "bothered" Victor Hammer. His student K.K. Merker also had this same trait concerning his own work.
Duncan seemed to have a hand in most of the fine printing that didn't happen on the coasts. Even Walter Hamady, who would go on to found the Perishable Press in Wisconsin, only realized the potential of books when he was introduced to Harry Duncan and his work while in Iowa City visiting relatives in the late 50s.
6DWPress
At the FPBA Manhattan show Sid Berger came by my table and we had a long talk. He was Kim Merker's assistant in the late 60's but also printed with Harry off and on. Sid produced a book "Printing & the Mind of Merker: A Bibliographical Study" that has contributions by Harry Duncan which I've only just received in the mail and haven't had a chance to read yet. Published by the Grolier Club in 1997. Looking forward to getting to it.
7DenimDan
>6 DWPress: That's one of my favorite bibliographies! I hope you enjoy it too. Berger's intro is fun. It's very interesting to hear from Merker which books of his he is most critical (or fond) of, and it's not always the ones I would have thought. My favorite part of "Printing and the Mind of Merker" is the description of Merker hounding Duncan during the making of the Weldon Kees book, and Duncan's response.
8Glacierman
>6 DWPress: Just curious, but did you get a hardcover or a wrappered copy?
And I love the title riffing off the Carter/Muir catalogue Printing and the Mind of Man. I think it was intended to be tongue-in-cheek, a bit of an inside joke, as it were.
And I love the title riffing off the Carter/Muir catalogue Printing and the Mind of Man. I think it was intended to be tongue-in-cheek, a bit of an inside joke, as it were.
9DWPress
>8 Glacierman: I got the wrapped copy, considering it was a gift I'm not complaining - I can put a nice binding on it at any rate.
I never had Kim as an instructor but got plenty of critique from him in the early days of UI's certificate program at the Type Kitchen when my friend David Wall was assisting Kim at Windover.
I kind of regret now not taking more advantage of that program and what followed but I already had a home and studio here in MI at that time and I knew I never wanted to teach full time so just came in for visits and got to hang out and learn.
I never had Kim as an instructor but got plenty of critique from him in the early days of UI's certificate program at the Type Kitchen when my friend David Wall was assisting Kim at Windover.
I kind of regret now not taking more advantage of that program and what followed but I already had a home and studio here in MI at that time and I knew I never wanted to teach full time so just came in for visits and got to hang out and learn.
10DenimDan
>9 DWPress: It just dawned on me that you and Merker each had Dellas Henke illustrate books for your respective presses.
