The Colophon, A Book Collectors' Quarterly
Encyclopedia
The publication titled The Colophon, subtitled A Book Collectors' Quarterly or A quarterly for booklovers, was a limited edition quarterly periodical begun late in 1929 and continuing in various guises until 1950. It was the brainchild of Elmer Adler (1884–1962), founder of Pynson Printers of New York City
. His idea was that various printers around the world would be willing to contribute their time and expertise to produce signatures (articles) using their own choice of papers, typography and illustration. These articles would then be bound together in boards by Pynson Printers and marketed to 2,000 subscribers.
Some articles comment on a current or historical issue related to printing, publishing or art. Other articles were themselves intended to be an example of printing or a work of art. As each article or item was normally a short section produced by a different designer and printer, a typical issue included a range of styles, papers, and typography, often using unusual or experimental approaches not widely seen in longer or mainstream printed items.
Each issue would also include an original piece of graphic art, some signed by the artist, many produced by using etching
, lithography
, or engraving
. Some of these are rare and valuable; as a result, some copies of the bound volumes have been vandalized to remove the prints.
Adler gathered around him an editorial board of John Winterich, Alfred Stanford
and F.B. Adams, Jr. and contributing editors including Rockwell Kent
, W. A. Dwiggins, Frederic Goudy
, Dard Hunter
, Bruce Rogers, A. Edward Newton
and many others who were well-known in the book world. It was their responsibility to provide not only editorial expertise but articles (and in the case of Rockwell Kent, The Colophon logos and colophon
s).
Beginning in early 1930, this "adventure in enthusiasm", as Adler called it, was greeted with public enthusiasm as well and subscribers clambered for it. However, it soon ran into difficulty as the Depression
made the then costly subscription price of $15 per year difficult for many. By 1935, only 1,700 subscribers could be found. Nonetheless, the quality of The Colophon remained unsurpassed—through the good will of printers, authors and artists—as well as with the help of a number of anonymous financial gifts. From 1935 to 1938, The Colophon entered a new phase with less lofty production values (at a price of $4 per year), before returning to a higher level of quality in 1939 with the 'New Graphic Series'. Starting again in 1948, the name The New Colophon: A Book Collectors' Quarterly was used by Philip Duschnes and the quarterly was entirely printed by the Anthoensen Press of Portland, Maine
, continuing publication until 1950 in a fourth and final format.
Many of the writers of the day, such as Sherwood Anderson
and Edith Wharton
, wrote autobiographical articles about their first books and many artists now famous, such as Paul Landacre
, Howard Cook, and Emil Ganso, provided original prints.
Sets of this periodical can still be found in many major public and college libraries, often in rare book and special collections libraries.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. His idea was that various printers around the world would be willing to contribute their time and expertise to produce signatures (articles) using their own choice of papers, typography and illustration. These articles would then be bound together in boards by Pynson Printers and marketed to 2,000 subscribers.
Some articles comment on a current or historical issue related to printing, publishing or art. Other articles were themselves intended to be an example of printing or a work of art. As each article or item was normally a short section produced by a different designer and printer, a typical issue included a range of styles, papers, and typography, often using unusual or experimental approaches not widely seen in longer or mainstream printed items.
Each issue would also include an original piece of graphic art, some signed by the artist, many produced by using etching
Etching
Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal...
, lithography
Lithography
Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...
, or engraving
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
. Some of these are rare and valuable; as a result, some copies of the bound volumes have been vandalized to remove the prints.
Adler gathered around him an editorial board of John Winterich, Alfred Stanford
Alfred Stanford
Alfred Boiler Stanford -Books:* "The Ground Swell," D. Appleton and Company, New York, London, 1923.* "A City Out of the Sea," D...
and F.B. Adams, Jr. and contributing editors including Rockwell Kent
Rockwell Kent
Rockwell Kent was an American painter, printmaker, illustrator, and writer.- Biography :Rockwell Kent was born in Tarrytown, New York, the same year as fellow American artists George Bellows and Edward Hopper...
, W. A. Dwiggins, Frederic Goudy
Frederic Goudy
Frederic W. Goudy was a prolific American type designer whose typefaces include Copperplate Gothic, Kennerley, and Goudy Old Style. He also designed, in 1938, University of California Oldstyle, for the sole proprietary use of the University of California Press...
, Dard Hunter
Dard Hunter
William Joseph "Dard" Hunter was an American authority on printing, paper, and papermaking—especially by hand, using the tools and craft of four centuries prior...
, Bruce Rogers, A. Edward Newton
A. Edward Newton
Alfred Edward Newton was an American author, publisher, and avid book collector. He is best known for his book Amenities of Book Collecting which sold over 25,000 copies...
and many others who were well-known in the book world. It was their responsibility to provide not only editorial expertise but articles (and in the case of Rockwell Kent, The Colophon logos and colophon
Colophon (publishing)
In publishing, a colophon is either:* A brief description of publication or production notes relevant to the edition, in modern books usually located at the reverse of the title page, but can also sometimes be located at the end of the book, or...
s).
Beginning in early 1930, this "adventure in enthusiasm", as Adler called it, was greeted with public enthusiasm as well and subscribers clambered for it. However, it soon ran into difficulty as the Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
made the then costly subscription price of $15 per year difficult for many. By 1935, only 1,700 subscribers could be found. Nonetheless, the quality of The Colophon remained unsurpassed—through the good will of printers, authors and artists—as well as with the help of a number of anonymous financial gifts. From 1935 to 1938, The Colophon entered a new phase with less lofty production values (at a price of $4 per year), before returning to a higher level of quality in 1939 with the 'New Graphic Series'. Starting again in 1948, the name The New Colophon: A Book Collectors' Quarterly was used by Philip Duschnes and the quarterly was entirely printed by the Anthoensen Press of Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
, continuing publication until 1950 in a fourth and final format.
Many of the writers of the day, such as Sherwood Anderson
Sherwood Anderson
Sherwood Anderson was an American novelist and short story writer. His most enduring work is the short story sequence Winesburg, Ohio. Writers he has influenced include Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, J. D. Salinger, and Amos Oz.-Early life:Anderson was born in Clyde, Ohio,...
and Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton , was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, short story writer, and designer.- Early life and marriage:...
, wrote autobiographical articles about their first books and many artists now famous, such as Paul Landacre
Paul Landacre
Paul Hambleton Landacre was one of the outstanding printmakers of the modern era. His distinguished body of work was largely responsible for elevating the wood engraving to an art form in twentieth-century America...
, Howard Cook, and Emil Ganso, provided original prints.
Sets of this periodical can still be found in many major public and college libraries, often in rare book and special collections libraries.
Issues
Issues of The Colophon and the principal related publications (48 volumes) were:- Original Series (20): Vol. 1, part 1 (Feb. 1930) - v. 5, part 20 (Mar. 1935), quartoQuartoQuarto could refer to:* Quarto, a size or format of a book in which four leaves of a book are created from a standard size sheet of paper* For specific information about quarto texts of William Shakespeare's works, see:...
. Parts 1-4 issued to 2,000 subscribers; 5-12, to 3,000 subscribers; 13-16, to 2,500 subscribers; pt. 17-20 to 1,700 subscribers. - Index, the Colophon, 1930-1935; with a history of the quarterly by John T. Winterich
- New Series (12): Vol. 1, no. 1 (Summer 1935) - v. 3, no. 4 (Autumn 1938), octavoOctavoOctavo to is a technical term describing the format of a book.Octavo may also refer to:* Octavo is a grimoire in the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett...
- The Annual of Bookmaking (1): 1938, quartoQuartoQuarto could refer to:* Quarto, a size or format of a book in which four leaves of a book are created from a standard size sheet of paper* For specific information about quarto texts of William Shakespeare's works, see:...
- New Graphic Series (4): Vol. 1, no. 1 (Mar. 1939) - v. 1, no. 4 (Feb. 1940), quartoQuartoQuarto could refer to:* Quarto, a size or format of a book in which four leaves of a book are created from a standard size sheet of paper* For specific information about quarto texts of William Shakespeare's works, see:...
- The New Colophon (9): Vol. 1, pt. 1 (Jan. 1948)- v. 3 (1950); v. 1-2 also pts. 1-8 [New York, N.Y. : Duschnes Crawford], quartoQuartoQuarto could refer to:* Quarto, a size or format of a book in which four leaves of a book are created from a standard size sheet of paper* For specific information about quarto texts of William Shakespeare's works, see:...
- Index 1936 - 1950; An Index to The Colophon, New Series . . . . by Keller, Dean H. Metuchen: Scarecrow Press, 1968. 139 pp. Boards. Covers the three series of The Colophon published after the conclusion of the original series: New Series, New Graphic Series, and the New Colophon.
External links
- An online archive at Carnegie Mellon UniversityCarnegie Mellon UniversityCarnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
's site has images of many of the pages. - A search-able index for this periodical artistarchive.com