1987 · Maple Shade, NJ
Maple Shade, NJ, 1987. Pickering Press. This group of 20 items (broadsides and ephemera) relate to John Anderson and his Pickering Press.
John Anderson began designing books, book-jackets, ephemera, and broadsides in the mid-1930's. He established his Pickering Press in 1947, with the inspiration being William Pickering, the famed English printer from the mid-nineteenth century. He has worked with Elmer Adler, Richard Ellis, Arthur Rushmore, and Frederic W. Goudy. The materials included in this archive are as follows.
1. WOOD FLOWER - 1947, by Richard Le Gallienne, published by the Brayers Club. Limited to 400 copies. A facsimile of Le Gallienne's holograph manuscript accompanied by a tipped-in illustration of a flower printed directly from the silk of a milkweed seed by Arthur Rushmore. The text was produced by the Pickering Press of John Anderson.
2. A TRIBUTE TO SOL HESS - 1951, by Wilfred J Bancroft, published by the Philadelphia Graphic Arts Forum. Designed by John Anderson.
3. SOL HESS: TYPE DESIGNER - 1951, Issued in an edition of 51 copies for the P.G.A.F. dinner on December 11, 1951. Designed and printed by John Anderson at his Pickering Press.
4. CONCERNING SOME WORDS BY BEATRICE & TYPES BY VARIED HANDS - 1953, Words by Beatrice Warde. Printed by John Anderson at his Pickering Press.
5. WHOEVER THOU ART - Set and printed for friends of the engraver and printer in June 1983. A handsome broadside set in Delphin. Wood-engraved initial by John DePol. Text is a statement attributed to Aldus Manutius.
6. CHRISTMAS GREETINGS 1983 - John and Ruthmae Anderson's Christmas card for 1983, finely printed with a handsome engraving on the front of the card.
7. WILLIAM PICKERING PROSPECTUS - 1984, Prospectus for the Pickering Press edition of Joseph Blumenthal's essay on the 19th-century English printer William Pickering. Gives some historical background on Pickering as well as a description of the book. Verso has quotation from Blumenthal. Engraved head- and tail-piece reproducing the Pickering Press printer's mark in blue.
8. GROLIER CLUB CENTENNIAL INVITATION - 1984, Invitation to the reception celebrating the Grolier Club's 100th anniversary, finely printed by John Anderson at the Pickering Press.
9. DEAR FRIEND OF THE ANDERSONS AND PICKERING PRESS - 1986, Woodcut at top and text thanking people for the 50th Anniversary party thrown for the Andersons.
10. HUGO STEINER-PRAG RECEPTION - 1987, Invitation to a reception for the opening of an exhibition of works by Hugo Steiner-Prag at Fairleigh Dickinson University, finely printed at the Pickering Press by John Anderson.
11. ALAS, WHAT DOO YE - n.d., Broadside with wood engraving. Text is a quotation from The Book of the Ordre of Chyvalre, or Knyghtehode, originally translated and printed by William Caxton in 1552.
12. WILLIAM W. WEINSTONE COLLECTION BOOKPLATE - n.d., Finely printed bookplate for the William W. Weinstone Collection at the Fairleigh Dickinson University Library. Interesting engraving depicts hammer-and-sickle device above an anvil. Printed by John Anderson at his Pickering Press.
13. RICHARD S. WORMSER COLLECTION OF GRAPHIC SATIRE BOOKPLATE - n.d., Finely printed bookplate for the Wormser Collection of Graphic Satire at Fairleigh Dickinson University Library, with comic engraving. Printed by John Anderson at his Pickering Press.
14. INVITATION - n.d., An invitation to a cocktail party finely printed by John Anderson at the Pickering Press, with a wood engraving by John DePol.
15. CHRISTMAS GREETINGS - n.d.,Christmas greeting card, from John and Ruthmae Anderson, printed at the Pickering Press. Snowflake decorations.
16. AN EVENING OF WESTERN SONG - n.d., Advertisment for an event at Fairleigh-Dickinson University, printed in Western style by John Anderson at the Pickering Press.
17. CREDO FOR CRAFTSMEN PROSPECTUS - n.d., Postcard serving as the prospectus for the Pickering Press broadside of reflections on the quality of labor by Porter Garnett.
18. I LOVE MAPLE SHADE COMMITTEE - n.d., An attractive adverisment for the I Love Maple Shade Committee, designed by John Anderson of the Pickering Press for Park Printing.
19. IF YOUR HOBBY IS COLLECTING STAMPS - n.d., Announcement of the Pickering Press's new address and phone number, finely printed.
20. ADVERTISEMENT FOR JOHN DEPOL AND THE PICKERING PRESS - n.d., This small broadside promises satisfaction with high quality work from the engraving block of John DePol and the presswork of John Anderson at the Pickering Press, which combines DePol's engravings with Mother's Day, Father's Day or Valentine's Day greetings. According to this leaf, DePol's "fees are modest in view of the Great Care and Precision exersized and is work is ready, more often than not, when promised" and John Anderson's fees for his presswork "are equally modest, his deliveries are not quite so prompt." Illustrated with a wood engraving by DePol depicting an old-fashioned safe nearly, but not quite beaten into submission by a criminal, who is seated on a stool next to the safe, taking a lunch break. (Inventory #: 138295)
John Anderson began designing books, book-jackets, ephemera, and broadsides in the mid-1930's. He established his Pickering Press in 1947, with the inspiration being William Pickering, the famed English printer from the mid-nineteenth century. He has worked with Elmer Adler, Richard Ellis, Arthur Rushmore, and Frederic W. Goudy. The materials included in this archive are as follows.
1. WOOD FLOWER - 1947, by Richard Le Gallienne, published by the Brayers Club. Limited to 400 copies. A facsimile of Le Gallienne's holograph manuscript accompanied by a tipped-in illustration of a flower printed directly from the silk of a milkweed seed by Arthur Rushmore. The text was produced by the Pickering Press of John Anderson.
2. A TRIBUTE TO SOL HESS - 1951, by Wilfred J Bancroft, published by the Philadelphia Graphic Arts Forum. Designed by John Anderson.
3. SOL HESS: TYPE DESIGNER - 1951, Issued in an edition of 51 copies for the P.G.A.F. dinner on December 11, 1951. Designed and printed by John Anderson at his Pickering Press.
4. CONCERNING SOME WORDS BY BEATRICE & TYPES BY VARIED HANDS - 1953, Words by Beatrice Warde. Printed by John Anderson at his Pickering Press.
5. WHOEVER THOU ART - Set and printed for friends of the engraver and printer in June 1983. A handsome broadside set in Delphin. Wood-engraved initial by John DePol. Text is a statement attributed to Aldus Manutius.
6. CHRISTMAS GREETINGS 1983 - John and Ruthmae Anderson's Christmas card for 1983, finely printed with a handsome engraving on the front of the card.
7. WILLIAM PICKERING PROSPECTUS - 1984, Prospectus for the Pickering Press edition of Joseph Blumenthal's essay on the 19th-century English printer William Pickering. Gives some historical background on Pickering as well as a description of the book. Verso has quotation from Blumenthal. Engraved head- and tail-piece reproducing the Pickering Press printer's mark in blue.
8. GROLIER CLUB CENTENNIAL INVITATION - 1984, Invitation to the reception celebrating the Grolier Club's 100th anniversary, finely printed by John Anderson at the Pickering Press.
9. DEAR FRIEND OF THE ANDERSONS AND PICKERING PRESS - 1986, Woodcut at top and text thanking people for the 50th Anniversary party thrown for the Andersons.
10. HUGO STEINER-PRAG RECEPTION - 1987, Invitation to a reception for the opening of an exhibition of works by Hugo Steiner-Prag at Fairleigh Dickinson University, finely printed at the Pickering Press by John Anderson.
11. ALAS, WHAT DOO YE - n.d., Broadside with wood engraving. Text is a quotation from The Book of the Ordre of Chyvalre, or Knyghtehode, originally translated and printed by William Caxton in 1552.
12. WILLIAM W. WEINSTONE COLLECTION BOOKPLATE - n.d., Finely printed bookplate for the William W. Weinstone Collection at the Fairleigh Dickinson University Library. Interesting engraving depicts hammer-and-sickle device above an anvil. Printed by John Anderson at his Pickering Press.
13. RICHARD S. WORMSER COLLECTION OF GRAPHIC SATIRE BOOKPLATE - n.d., Finely printed bookplate for the Wormser Collection of Graphic Satire at Fairleigh Dickinson University Library, with comic engraving. Printed by John Anderson at his Pickering Press.
14. INVITATION - n.d., An invitation to a cocktail party finely printed by John Anderson at the Pickering Press, with a wood engraving by John DePol.
15. CHRISTMAS GREETINGS - n.d.,Christmas greeting card, from John and Ruthmae Anderson, printed at the Pickering Press. Snowflake decorations.
16. AN EVENING OF WESTERN SONG - n.d., Advertisment for an event at Fairleigh-Dickinson University, printed in Western style by John Anderson at the Pickering Press.
17. CREDO FOR CRAFTSMEN PROSPECTUS - n.d., Postcard serving as the prospectus for the Pickering Press broadside of reflections on the quality of labor by Porter Garnett.
18. I LOVE MAPLE SHADE COMMITTEE - n.d., An attractive adverisment for the I Love Maple Shade Committee, designed by John Anderson of the Pickering Press for Park Printing.
19. IF YOUR HOBBY IS COLLECTING STAMPS - n.d., Announcement of the Pickering Press's new address and phone number, finely printed.
20. ADVERTISEMENT FOR JOHN DEPOL AND THE PICKERING PRESS - n.d., This small broadside promises satisfaction with high quality work from the engraving block of John DePol and the presswork of John Anderson at the Pickering Press, which combines DePol's engravings with Mother's Day, Father's Day or Valentine's Day greetings. According to this leaf, DePol's "fees are modest in view of the Great Care and Precision exersized and is work is ready, more often than not, when promised" and John Anderson's fees for his presswork "are equally modest, his deliveries are not quite so prompt." Illustrated with a wood engraving by DePol depicting an old-fashioned safe nearly, but not quite beaten into submission by a criminal, who is seated on a stool next to the safe, taking a lunch break. (Inventory #: 138295)