Category: Bookmaking

Books about Books: The Janus Press at Sixty

janus-press-at-60-small.jpgClaire Van Vliet started the Janus Press in 1954 and prints limited editions of (mostly) contemporary poets with original images. One of the first bookmaking classes I took at the book center in San Francisco was with Van Vliet. My book Monet Refuses the Operation uses a structure I learned in that class. My books To a Friend Going Blind and Persimmons use a binding method I found in Van Vliet’s book Woven and Interlocking Book Structures

I picked up a copy of a new picture book about Van Vliet’s books, “The Janus Press at Sixty,” at Codex. It’s the exhibition catalog for the current show at the San Francisco Center for the Book and includes images of the 36 books in the exhibition (six from each of the six decades). What’s great about this book, and unlike the recent trend in collections like 500 Handmade Books, is there are multiple pictures of each book, including spreads that can be read so the viewer gets a real sense of the book. It’s a wonderful visual tribute to the diversity of the press. You can get the catalog at the front desk at San Francisco Center for the Book or by calling (415) 565-0545.

Below are 2 books that were new to me. Click on the image to see an even bigger one.

Janus Press, Sun Sky Earth, 1964
Janus Press, Sun Sky, Earth, 1964

Janus Press, Lilac Wind, 1983
Janus Press, Lilac Wind, 1983

The Saint John’s Fragment

I wanted to buy a book for my collection at Codex, and after a lot of searching for one that had poetry, letterpress, and would be an inspiration for my own work, I settled on Foolscap Press’ The Saint John’s Fragment. The book is based on a unique book by poet David Annwn and calligrapher Thomas Ingmire. The Saint John’s Fragment is a piece from a papyrus codex that measures 3.5 by 2.5 inches at its widest. One side contains parts of seven lines from the Gospel of John 18:31–33, in Greek, and the other contains parts of seven lines from verses 37–38. David Annwn’s poem “Against the Odds” is in response to the fragment, describing what it looks like, what it might mean, and the mystery of it even existing today. At the end of the poem, a page unfolds with Ingmire’s beautiful calligraphy showing the fragment and the calligraphy shows the image of the actual fragment and the missing extended text (see last image below). See more about the book on Foolscap Press’ website and the original book on Ingmire’s blog. Below, click on the pictures to see a much large image.

st-johns_0003_p1.jpg

Foolscap Press, Saint John's Fragment

Foolscap Press, Saint John's Fragment

Foolscap Press, Saint John's Fragment

Rebecca Chamlee’s Letterpress Botanical Prints

One of the more amazing things I saw at Codex was Rebecca Chamlee of Pie in the Sky Press‘s letterpress printed botanical prints. She says they are “letterpress botanical images of California native trees, collected from Corriganville Regional Park in Simi Valley, California, printed four-color in tight registration with photo polymer plates.” Below is one of them (see them all here). She also has a new book, Where Stucco Meets Chaparral that includes the botanical prints. On her blog she has several great posts about making and binding the book — be sure to check them out.

Rebecca Chamlee’s Letterpress Botanical Print

Rebecca Chamlee’s Where Stucco Meets Chaparral

Rebecca Chamlee’s Where Stucco Meets Chaparral

Rebecca Chamlee’s Where Stucco Meets Chaparral