Type and Stick at The Hammer Creek Press.
by HAMMER CREEK PRESS. FASS, John S
- Used
- Hardcover
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
LONDON, Greater London, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: At the Sign of the Turtle, printed by John S. Fass at The Hammer Creek Press, 1951. One of 66 copies, of which 25 were for sale and the rest for private distribution. Turtle device on title page and label on cover by Burt Carnes. Every page with ornaments, illustrations and type printed in red, yellow, blue and black on Whitehead & Alliger’s Arak Paper. Pp.35. 170 x 107 mms., original patterned brown paper wrappers over thin boards with paper label turtle device of the press on the front cover, in the original matching card slipcase. An extremely good copy with the very rare limitation leaf (folded into two and printed on the front only).||A spectacular display of Fass’s decorative designs, printer’s ornaments and gentle humour.
John Strobble Fass (1890-1973) was a graphic designer and printer of fine press books who designed books for the leading American publishers of limited edition books. Early in his career he worked for publishing house of William Rudge where he learned a great deal from Bruce Rogers. In 1925 Fass founded the Harbor Press in New York which specialised in creating fine editioned books. This press closed in 1939 and Fass began printing exquisite books from his single-room home at the Bronx YMCA first under the name Hell-Box Press and later he began the Hammer Creek Press in the 1950s. He used an Albion with an extraordinary provenance. He bought it from Valenti Angelo, who also illustrated a number of Hammer Creek Press titles. Angelo had got the press from Bruce Rogers who in turn had procured it from the great Emery Walker.
Hammer Creek is known for its immaculate masterpieces of letterpress printing in tiny editions. Beautifully conceived and printed, John Fass worked slowly to achieve perfection, hence the turtle press device and his Press motto ‘Festina Lente’ [Hurry slowly]. At this time he also produced a series of leaf prints, printing directly onto Japanese tissue.
|Cohen, 6 With the rare little hand-printed card giving the limitation of the book (66 copies), a previously unknown quantity
John Strobble Fass (1890-1973) was a graphic designer and printer of fine press books who designed books for the leading American publishers of limited edition books. Early in his career he worked for publishing house of William Rudge where he learned a great deal from Bruce Rogers. In 1925 Fass founded the Harbor Press in New York which specialised in creating fine editioned books. This press closed in 1939 and Fass began printing exquisite books from his single-room home at the Bronx YMCA first under the name Hell-Box Press and later he began the Hammer Creek Press in the 1950s. He used an Albion with an extraordinary provenance. He bought it from Valenti Angelo, who also illustrated a number of Hammer Creek Press titles. Angelo had got the press from Bruce Rogers who in turn had procured it from the great Emery Walker.
Hammer Creek is known for its immaculate masterpieces of letterpress printing in tiny editions. Beautifully conceived and printed, John Fass worked slowly to achieve perfection, hence the turtle press device and his Press motto ‘Festina Lente’ [Hurry slowly]. At this time he also produced a series of leaf prints, printing directly onto Japanese tissue.
|Cohen, 6 With the rare little hand-printed card giving the limitation of the book (66 copies), a previously unknown quantity
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Details
- Bookseller
- SOPHIE SCHNEIDEMAN RARE BOOKS (GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 12027
- Title
- Type and Stick at The Hammer Creek Press.
- Author
- HAMMER CREEK PRESS. FASS, John S
- Book Condition
- Used
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- At the Sign of the Turtle, printed by John S. Fass at The Hammer Creek Press
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 1951
- Keywords
- Hammer Creek Press;John S. Fass;Typography;Ornament Book,Illustrated, Printing & Typography, Private Press
Terms of Sale
SOPHIE SCHNEIDEMAN RARE BOOKS
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 10 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
SOPHIE SCHNEIDEMAN RARE BOOKS
Biblio member since 2012
LONDON, Greater London
About SOPHIE SCHNEIDEMAN RARE BOOKS
RARE BOOK AND PRINT SELLER FOR OVER 30 YEARS SPECIALISING IN PRIVATE PRESS & ILLUSTRATED BOOKS, ARTISTS' & FINE PRESS BOOKS, FINE BINDING, LETTERING, TYPOGRAPHY PRINTS &C WE ARE OPEN BY APPOINTMENT OR CHANCE 7 DAYS A WEEK, DAY & EVENING, WE ARE MEMBERS OF PBFA, ABA & ILAB
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Device
- Especially for older books, a printer's device refers to an identifying mark, also sometimes called a printer's mark, on the...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Title Page
- A page at the front of a book which may contain the title of the book, any subtitles, the authors, contributors, editors, the...
- Wrappers
- The paper covering on the outside of a paperback. Also see the entry for pictorial wraps, color illustrated coverings for...