Bill Bird
Encyclopedia
William Augustus Bird was an American journalist, now remembered for his Three Mountains Press, a small press
he ran while in Paris
in the 1920s for the Consolidated Press Association. Taken over by Nancy Cunard
in 1928, it became the Hours Press, and continued its association with many of the most important modernists; Ezra Pound
had a position as editor for Three Mountains from 1923.
Bill Bird, as he was usually known, was born in Buffalo
, New York State. He was educated at Trinity College, Hartford. With David Lawrence he founded Consolidated Press Association in 1920; it lasted until 1933.
He started Three Mountains Press in 1922, producing books himself by a slow process of hand printing (the mountains appeared on the colophon). An early work was his own A Practical Guide to French Wines (1922). It was based at 29, quai d'Anjou, where he later provided office accommodation to Ford Madox Ford
for the Transatlantic Review. It was through Ernest Hemingway
that Bird contacted Pound.
In the period to 1925 the Press published works including Pound's A Draft of XVI Cantos, Hemingway's in our time, William Carlos Williams
's The Great American Novel, and Distinguished Air by Robert McAlmon
. On the business side there was a close involvement with McAlmon's Contact Editions. Bird's interest then dropped, and he sold the printing press, Caslon
type and goodwill to Nancy Cunard, supervising the move to her Normandy
farmhouse.
His career as journalist outlasted the CPA: he next worked for the New York Sun
, remaining in Paris until 1940. He moved at that point to Spain
.
After World War II
he was in Tangier
, where he edited the Tangier Gazette English-language newspaper until it was closed in 1960.
Small press
Small press is a term often used to describe publishers with annual sales below a certain level. Commonly, in the United States, this is set at $50 million, after returns and discounts...
he ran while in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in the 1920s for the Consolidated Press Association. Taken over by Nancy Cunard
Nancy Cunard
Nancy Clara Cunard was a writer, heiress and political activist. She was born into the British upper class but strongly rejected her family's values, devoting much of her life to fighting racism and fascism...
in 1928, it became the Hours Press, and continued its association with many of the most important modernists; Ezra Pound
Ezra Pound
Ezra Weston Loomis Pound was an American expatriate poet and critic and a major figure in the early modernist movement in poetry...
had a position as editor for Three Mountains from 1923.
Bill Bird, as he was usually known, was born in Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, New York State. He was educated at Trinity College, Hartford. With David Lawrence he founded Consolidated Press Association in 1920; it lasted until 1933.
He started Three Mountains Press in 1922, producing books himself by a slow process of hand printing (the mountains appeared on the colophon). An early work was his own A Practical Guide to French Wines (1922). It was based at 29, quai d'Anjou, where he later provided office accommodation to Ford Madox Ford
Ford Madox Ford
Ford Madox Ford was an English novelist, poet, critic and editor whose journals, The English Review and The Transatlantic Review, were instrumental in the development of early 20th-century English literature...
for the Transatlantic Review. It was through Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
that Bird contacted Pound.
In the period to 1925 the Press published works including Pound's A Draft of XVI Cantos, Hemingway's in our time, William Carlos Williams
William Carlos Williams
William Carlos Williams was an American poet closely associated with modernism and Imagism. He was also a pediatrician and general practitioner of medicine, having graduated from the University of Pennsylvania...
's The Great American Novel, and Distinguished Air by Robert McAlmon
Robert McAlmon
Robert Menzies McAlmon was an American author, poet and publisher.-Life:McAlmon was born in Clifton, Kansas, the youngest of ten children of an itinerant Presbyterian minister....
. On the business side there was a close involvement with McAlmon's Contact Editions. Bird's interest then dropped, and he sold the printing press, Caslon
Caslon
Caslon refers to a number of serif typefaces designed by William Caslon I , and various revivals thereof.Caslon shares the irregularity characteristic of Dutch Baroque types. It is characterized by short ascenders and descenders, bracketed serifs, moderately-high contrast, robust texture, and...
type and goodwill to Nancy Cunard, supervising the move to her Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
farmhouse.
His career as journalist outlasted the CPA: he next worked for the New York Sun
New York Sun (historical)
The Sun was a New York newspaper that was published from 1833 until 1950. It was considered a serious paper, like the city's two more successful broadsheets, The New York Times and the New York Herald Tribune...
, remaining in Paris until 1940. He moved at that point to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he was in Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
, where he edited the Tangier Gazette English-language newspaper until it was closed in 1960.