The next meeting of the Washington Area Group for Print Culture Studies 2022-2023 series will take place this Friday, February 10, from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. (EST) via Zoom. Lilla Vekerdy, Head of Special Collections at the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, will deliver a talk entitled ““How Do Book Bindings Get to Sing?””
Zoom link: https://wcupa.zoom.us/j/93439549048?pwd=alVCaE54RWVVeGNUdGQxbjlaQzlKQT09
Abstract: How Do Book Bindings Get to Sing? will discuss a group of Renaissance and Early Modern books that are bound in fragments of music manuscripts from the Middle Ages. These “singing bindings” are hundreds of years older than the texts they cover. Furthermore, the texts inside are on mathematics, physics, astronomy, and one even about the Devil itself, but absolutely none is on music. Lilla Vekerdy will shed light on how and why these discrepancies happened. The volumes examined are selected from the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives’ Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology.
Women In Printing
Chapter member Dianne Roman shares that: “A paper I wrote, “The Olive Branch and female compositors, writers, and editors, 1836-1857” has been published in the book Women in Print 1 by Peter Lang.
In addition, the Lang group has decided on a zoom launch to promote the book. This will take place this coming Thursday, February 16, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time (6:00 to 7:30 p.m. UK Time). The event is listed on the Royal Historical Society’s web site:.
NATIONAL NEWS at the American Printing History Association’s annual meeting included
The 2023 Mark Samuels Lasner Fellowship in Printing History was conferred to Val Lucas for her research into typecasting by Fellowship Committee: E. Haven Hawley, Chair; Johanna Drucker; Miriam Intrator.
It is worth mentioning that a new year means a new calendar for 2024. There is at least some discussion going around that the price might be raised this year, so all contributors should plan on lifting their game a bit. You can click to see the whole 2023 calendar link in the right sidebar.
⬇ Lauren Emeritz (Chesapeake Chapter’s new President), Jill Cypher, and Ray Nichols at the LIBRARY OF CONGRESS’ MAKING THE MODERN BOOK: THE ARAMONT LIBRARY CONFERENCE on January 19th (Edgar Allan Poe’s 214th birthday)
APHA Chesapeake Chapter Virtual Get-Together
Tuesday, January 24, 7:00 pm
Please join us for our first American Printing History Association Chesapeake Chapter virtual get-together of 2023 when Chapter member Mallory Haselberger will give a talk on her recent research on “women’s use of printed volumes in the 17th and 18th centuries for learning to become an artist (i.e., manuals on calligraphy, writing, and artistic instruction).” Included will be information about book ownership, the rise of self-instructional volumes, and women authors inciting the printing of their own texts.
There will be plenty of time after Mal’s talk for questions, discussion, and catching up with fellow members about their latest projects and interests, as well as any juicy gossip that may be available.
To participate, please email Chris Sweterlitsch. Zoom meeting information will be sent to those who register shortly before the event.
2022 Chesapeake Chapter Wayzgoose
at Lead Graffiti
A great group gathered with a full day of “So. what have you been up to” discussions. It was nice to WAYZGOOSE in person.
One wonderful change from our past gatherings was we gathered at the end to let everyone who brought something to show explain the who, when, and why of each. Somehow we neglected to photograph Casey Smith, who talked about his Wayzgoose poster in the bottom photo above, Jody Cabezas, who talked about her head-long dive into letterpress with her 2022 APHA calendar page, and Ray Nichols with his ‘N0 War. No Putin’ broadside.
The BRINGERS shown at the top are Val Lucas with her reduction woodcut, Tatiana Shukhin with her wonderful book of woodcuts, Jill Cypher and her collaborative book “Opposites, and Lauren Emeritz with her wonderfully playful book series,
We had way more great food than was necessary, so everyone was pretty much stuffed by 3:00,
Lead Graffiti turned out to be a great place to hold the occasion. It kept everyone in the same room, and ricochets from one conversation to the other was quite wonderful. I wish we were closer. We’d love to do this every year.
The 2023 Chesapeake Chapter Calendar
Each year 13 of us print a 12-month calendar for sale to promote our events, Denker Fellow, etc. You can see images of each month by clicking here.
Click here to buy the calendar for $25 (free shipping).
Chesapeake Chapter Notes
Chesapeake Chapter Notes is emailed monthly to members and friends of the Chesapeake Chapter of the American Printing History Association. Contributions are welcome and can be sent to George Barnum, Chapter Secretary.
2021. 2021 Officer’s Report. 2022. January. February. May. June/July. September.
At the bottom of this page, we show letterpress projects printed by Chapter members. If you print and are savvy about social media, hashtag your in-progress or completed works using the hashtag #aphachesapeake.
Chesapeake Chapter Wayzgoose
Saturday, November 12th
10am to 3pm
We’re back live!
We are pleased to announce that the 2022 APHA Chesapeake Chapter wayzgoose will take place in person on November 12th, hosted by Ray Nichols and Jill Cypher at the well-appointed Lead Graffiti studio at 120A Sandy Drive, Newark, DE 19713. Every Chapter member and friend is encouraged to come for this annual day of food, friendship, and lots of letterpress.
As in the past, refreshments will be potluck, so please (if you can) bring an entrée, side dish, salad, or dessert to share for lunch, and a beverage of your choice. Also, consider bringing any friend that you think is a likely candidate for membership.
You are also encouraged to bring a favorite item you’ve worked on or acquired for your collection for show and tell.
The 2023 Chesapeake Chapter collaborative wall calendar will be available for sale ($20 for Chapter members) as well as Chapter pint glasses ($5).
Feel free to reply to this email if you have any questions or need additional information. We look forward to seeing you on November 12th.
The general plan is to limit images per member to 2.
We are happy to post up to 2 recent or important images of letterpress-related creative work by our printing members. If you are a chapter member and have work you would like to submit email a digital image to Ray Nichols.
Recent images received will appear at the top. After a month or so, they will move into alphabetical order by printer’s name. We will generally limit each printer to 2 images or 3, if the work is particularly significant.
RECENT SUBMISSIONS (1)
⬇ JOHN & NANCY JOHNSON
Size : 15″ x 22″
Runs : 3 on a Washington iron hand press
Paper : Stonehenge
Details : Reduction woodcut in cherry
⬇ Jill Cypher & RAY NICHOLS : Lead Graffiti : Newark, DE
A2 Thank you cards for the Amos Lemon Burkhart Foundation.
Size : A2 folding thank you card
Paper : French 140# white
Runs : 2 (hand rolled background in 2 colors & gold)
Press : Vandercook Universal III
Client : Amos Lemon Burkhart Foundation
⬇ JILL CYPHER : Lead Graffiti : Newark, DE
Title : Found / See
Size : 12.75″ x 9″
Paper : Somerset Textured White 300gsm
Details : 2 runs with mica powder over paste paper
Size : 12.75″ x 9″
Paper : Somerset Textured White 300gsm
Details : 2 runs with mica powder over paste paper
This is a spread for a book entitled “Opposites,” a 14-artist collaborative book by members of the Upper Chesapeake Book Arts.
⬇ LAUREN EMERITZ : Abstract Orange : Washington, DC : Instagram
Runs : 4
Details : Wood cut printed via letterpress
⬇ LAUREN EMERITZ : Abstract Orange : Washington, DC
Title : Art is Play
Details : Wood cut printed via letterpress
⬇ ROLAND HOOVER : Pembroke Press : Bethesda, MD
Title : 2008 Chesapeake Chapter Roster
Details : Letterpress via handset metal type
⬇ VAL LUCAS : Bowerbox Press : Monkton, MD
Title : French Clarendon Specimen Sheet
Details : Letterpress via hand-set wood & metal type
⬇ VAL LUCAS : Bowerbox Press : Monkton, MD
Title : Sumac pressure print
Details : Wood cut 7 leaves
⬇ VAL LUCAS : Bowerbox Press : Monkton, MD
Details : Foundry border material design, carved, and cast by Val
⬇ CHRIS MANSON : Crooked Crow Press : Rockville, MD
Size : ?
Paper : Stonehenge
Details : handset metal type
⬇ RAY NICHOLS & JILL CYPHER : Lead Graffiti : Newark, DE
A2 Thank you cards for the Amos Lemon Burkhart Foundation.
Size : A2 folding thank you card
Paper : French 140# white
Runs : 2 (hand rolled background in 2 colors & gold)
Press : Vandercook Universal III
Client : Amos Lemon Burkhart Foundation
⬇ RAY NICHOLS & JILL CYPHER : Lead Graffiti : Newark, DE
The Lead Graffiti book, “How Ink Writes Poetry,” was accepted to the Newark Arts Alliance exhibition entitled “In the Abstract.” The call for entries stated, “Work in any medium that depicts the subject matter in an unconventional and nonrepresentational manner.” The pages are “Ink Pulls” that we create using our Vandercook Universal III. The book has been purchased by the Library of Congress.
⬇ RAY NICHOLS & JILL CYPHER : Lead Graffiti : Newark, DE
Size : 14.5″ x 22.5″
Paper : Somerset Textured White 300gsm
Runs : 18
Details : handset metal type.
The bottom 16 lines are ghost printed without reinking.
Broadside to support the Ukraine International Relief Fund. Generated $1200.
⬇ GREG ROBISON : Peregrinus Press
Title : The Jesuit Motto
Details : Letterpress via hand-set metal type
⬇ GREG ROBISON : Peregrinus Press
Jesuit Zen
Letterpress via hand-set metal type
⬇ CASEY SMITH : Own Goal Press : Wilmington, DE
Title : New Suns
Details : Letterpress via hand rolling on tissue paper
⬇ CASEY SMITH : Own Goal Press : Wilmington, DE
Title : Zoom Cards
Type : Handset wood type and metal border materials
Runs : each sheet is printed in 2 colors
Details : Bottom image for each sheet is various forms of bubblewrap
View a co-operative print exchange by chapter members in 2021. Click to view.
View annual Chesapeake Chapter calendars. 2023. 2022. 2021. 2020. 2019. 2017. 2016.