Regional Chapters > Southern California

The Southern California Chapter

Welcome and Invitation to Join the Southern California Chapter of APHA

Dear fellow book arts enthusiasts, printers, bibliophiles, and friends of printing history:

The Southern California Chapter is made up of members representing the range of printing history and book arts interests. We are excited about the wonderful programs that we continue to provide for members of the Chapter and welcome all of you in the region who share our interests to become active with the group.  You can watch this web site and/or contact any of the officers to stay informed about upcoming events. The current officers are Ethan Lipton, President; Nina Schneider, Program Chair; Jessica Holada, Membership Chair; Jane Carpenter, Secretary; Barbara Hauser, Treasurer. Contact information is provided below.

Other exciting activities are being planned, and we would love to have you join us at these events. We would very much like to hear from you about programs that you would like us to organize. Feel free to contact any of us. Also, please let us know if you are interested in giving a presentation for the Chapter.

The annual cost of individual membership to join the national American Printing History Association is $50; institutional membership is $75. Membership in the Southern California Chapter is an additional $15. Our area includes all of Southern California from the southern border up to and including San Luis Obispo County. We are working to provide programs across this area. Please visit the Join APHA page for a membership application and detailed information about this vibrant organization.

We look forward to hearing from you and meeting you at an upcoming event.

Ethan B. Lipton
Professor, Department of Technology
California State University, Los Angeles
5151 State University Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90032 email:
elipton@exchange.calstatela.edu
office: 323-343-4468
home: 310-827-1863

Southern California Chapter Officers
Ethan Lipton, President
Nina Schneider, Program Chair
Jessica Holada, Membership Chair
Jane Carpenter, Secretary
Barbara Hauser , Treasurer

Upcoming Events

Saturday, May 4, 2013
The Photopolymer Plate Process & Refined Typography
on the Letterpress Printed Page
Gerald Lange
A lecture and demonstration
Otis College of Art and Design
9045 Lincoln Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045
(just north of LAX)

Talk (7 pm)
The Forum, Ahmanson Hall
Free and open to the public
Photopolymer plates have changed the dynamics of letterpress printing. What was once the domain of metal and wood has been transformed into a world of software and plastic. The design and production of photopolymer-based printing has opened up nearly unlimited possibilities for design and has no doubt contributed to the recent popularity of letterpress printing – and the look of relief printed paper – in popular culture and among designers, artists,
typographers, and book artists. Gerald Lange will discuss the history and impact of photopolymer on his own work and the work of letterpress printers.

Hands-on Demonstration (4- 6 pm)
Otis Laboratory Press
$25 / $20 APHA members & Otis students
Limited to 12 people
Gerald Lange will lead an intimate gathering through the photopolymer plate making process. A materials show & tell, an introduction to the school’s platemaker and filmmaker, and a working demonstration on how these plates perform on a printing press will allow participants a broad overview of the technical and mechanical advantages and challenges of printing with polymer.

Register for the demonstration today with a credit card or Paypal account at http://aphasocal.org
Questions and more information: info@aphasocal.org

Gerald Lange is the proprietor and founder (1975) of The Bieler Press, a small printing and publishing firm specializing in studio letterpress, typographic design, and the publication of finely-printed limited edition books and related matter. Lange teaches at Otis College of Art and Design and the Art Center College of Design, and conducts workshops at the Irvine Fine Arts Center, California Institute of the Arts, Minnesota Center for Books Arts, Scripps College, Kent State University, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

He’s written numerous essays and articles on typography and the book arts which have appeared in Parenthesis (FPBA), book art object (CODEX), Ampersand (PCBA), Printing History(APHA), Guild of Book Workers Newsletter, Counter, Serif, Bookways, and The Typographe. From 1990 to 1996, Lange was the editor of AbraCadaBrA, the Journal of the Alliance for Contemporary Book Arts, an organization he co-founded in 1987. Now in its fifth edition, Lange’s monograph Printing Digital Type on the Hand-operated Flatbed Cylinder Press was first published in 1998.

In 2001, he founded PPLetterpress, an online forum on investigative, exploratory, and alternative printing and typographic techniques.

Recent Activities

Saturday, February 23, 2013
A Special reception for "Where Bohemians Gathered: Print Culture on the Arroyo Seco, 1895-1947"

Occidental College
Library Main Gallery
Los Angeles, CA

Saturday, January 19, 2013
Annual Membership Meeting (+ optional Landacre field trip)

The day started at 11 am in which the Southern California chapter members met to review the year's activities and discuss possible programs for 2013, as well as to elect Jessica Holada as Membership Chair. We met at the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library and had the opportunity to look at some of Paul Landacre's blocks, prints, and archival materials held there. We enjoyed an al fresco lunch on the Clark's western patio.
After the meeting we headed over to the Pasadena Museum of California Art for a curator's tour of White on Black: The Modernist Prints of Paul Landacre. We provided a map to L.A. Historic Monument Number 839, Landacre's former cabin and studio nestled in the hills above Echo Park.

December 8, 2012
Where Bohemians Gathered: Exploring Los Angeles Printing History Along the Arroyo Seco
Co-sponsored by Occidental College

The day began at Occidental College with a chance to view the companion exhibition, “Where Bohemians Gathered: Print Culture on the Arroyo Seco, 1895-1947,” curated by Jessica Holada. This excellent exhibition, on display in the college’s main floor gallery, brought together materials related to the people and presses of the area. Items on display included books, photographs, and prints primarily from Occidental, with some items from UCLA Library’s Special Collections Department and the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library. We then gathered in a nearby conference room for a talk by noted California historian, Gary F. Kurutz, entitled “A Southland Bohemia: Print Culture on the Arroyo Seco.” He gave a fascinating, informed, and entertaining account of individuals that helped shape the culture of the area. We learned about Charles F. Lummis, Idah Meacham Strobridge, Clyde Browne, George Wharton James, Maynard Dixon, Mary Austin, Lawrence Clark Powell, and others.

We then packed into cars and drove a few miles to El Alisal, the former home of Charles Lummis and current headquarters of the Historical Society of Southern California. The home, now a museum, hearkens back to the early 20th century and Lummis’ fascination with Old California. We learned, from the Society’s knowledgeable docents and curators, that the home was built entirely by hand, using river rock from the Arroyo, nearby oak trees, and materials appropriated from nearby structures. The home was a gathering spot for artists, writers, and intellectuals and one can still sense how welcome these activities were for area residents. After our tour (divided into three because of our size) and a delicious box lunch, we made the short trek to Abbey San Encino.

The Abbey, currently (as always) a private residence, was once the home of printer Clyde Browne. Severin Browne (Clyde’s grandson) is the current owner and resident and allowed a rare glimpse of a remarkable structure. Like El Alisal, the Abbey is also built entirely by hand and was designed to look like a California mission (cloisters, chapel, and campanile included).  In what is now Severin’s bedroom is the rose window, a remarkable round stained glass from nearby Judson Studios, featuring a missionary and a Native American at a printing press. Once the printshop, this room has been slightly redesigned to accommodate a growing family. We were able to see a beautifully carved reed organ in the chapel, the architect’s rendering of the property hanging in the dining room, and visit the dungeon (where Severin confessed many childhood nightmares). Our day concluded with a bohemian gathering at a nearby pub.

Due to space restrictions, we were required to cap registrations at 45 and although participants were charged a fee to offset expenses, we had a waiting list of about 10 people. APHA members and students received a discount. The fee covered the full day including coffee, fruit and bagels in the morning, the box lunch, and the printed keepsake. Everyone who registered received a folder with the day’s program, a letterpress printed keepsake designed and produced by Occidental students, a full-color map and guide of local points of interest for individuals to use as a self-guided tour, and brochures from sponsoring institutions and collections. We were surprised at the Lummis home to receive a printed keepsake that they created for the occasion.

Much of the Chapter’s energy in 2012 was spent planning this event and we heartily thank everyone who was involved and gave generously of their time and expertise. We especially thank Dale Steiber and Helena De Lemos at Occidental College who made the day a success, Jocelyn Peterson and her students who printed a lovely keepsake, the staff and volunteers at the Lummis Home and Garden, Severin Browne who opened his home to 45 strangers, and of course, Gary Kurutz for a wonderful talk. A very special thanks to Kristina Vargas who designed the program and map for the self-guided tour pro bono and to Michael Druyen for printing the program materials and donating his labor and expenses. The chapter is very lucky to have so many friends.

December 13, 2012
Co-sponsor of the Clark Quarterly Lectures
Printing the Past and Casting the Future: A Typefounder's Tale
Raymond S. ("Stan") Nelson, Jr., National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, Los Angeles

In this lecture, Stan Nelson described his background and the many challenges of creating and manufacturing printing type. He brought examples of punches, tools, proofs, and final products for participants to examine more closely.

Saturday, October 6, 2012
4th Annual L.A. Printers’ Fair at the International Printing Museum in Carson, CA.

Members of the Southern California chapter turned up at the 4th Annual L.A. Printers’ Fair, held the first Saturday of October at the International Printing Museum in Carson, CA. Our table, B42, drew many visitors interested in the organization, as well as our event in December, "Exploring Los Angeles Printing History Along the Arroyo Seco." The museum generously loaned us their tabletop Albion Press which gave visitors a chance to print their own souvenir bookmark (APHA-related, of course). Below are a few photos from the day.

From top to bottom:
Pall Bohne
Laura Sorvetti
Kristina Vargas

June 20, 2012
Film Fest

The Southern California Chapter sponsored the first annual Film Fest during the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of the Association of College & Research Libraries’ 53rd Annual Preconference in San Diego. Open to all 375 registered attendees, we screened two films (Beyond Works: The Marriage of Art & Literature in Bookmaking and Proceed and Be Bold!) on Wednesday evening. Information about the films and our new promotional bookmark were placed in all of the tote bags that conference-goers receive upon registration.

Saturday, June 16, 2012
Tour of Recent Print Acquisitions at the Getty Research Center

Eighteen members and their guests enjoyed spring-like weather at the Getty Center, where we received a curator-led tour of the exhibition The Getty Research Institute: Recent Print Acquisitions. Hosted by Marcia Reed, we took an hour-long gambol through the history of printmaking, featuring works by artists both famous and obscure. A range of printing methods were on display including woodcut, engraving, etching, mezzotint, aquatint, lithography, and letterpress.

We began the tour with Excerpts from the Story of the Holy Virgin Mary Presented in Pictures by Albrecht Dürer with Verses by Chelidonius; or, The Life of the Virgin (Epitome in divae parthenices Mariae historiam.), 1511. Each woodcut in the suite included accompanying letterpress on the verso, an example of which was placed in a double-sided frame for 360-degree viewing at the center of the gallery. Marcia explained how it is common to find Dürer sets incomplete, trimmed, bound, cobbled together from disparate sets, often a mixture of earlier and later impressions, but the GRI patiently waited for this pristine set to become available. She gave us insights about how the prints fit within an artist's evolving style, how the prints complement existing research collections, and explained how printing projects were financed and executed in the case of the Capricious Inventions of Prisons by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, printed from 1749-1750. Amazingly, the original metal plates survive, but at some point they were recklessly cleaned, eliminating Piranesi's burnishing details that give the first edition, first issue prints such gestural vitality.

Trees were the subject of a thematic section, demonstrating how artists used various techniques and tools to sensitively articulate the textures of the natural world to different effect. Other highlights included a four-color mezzotint portrait from 1784, a life-size Last Judgment engraved in 12 sheets by Pieter de Jode the Elder, romanticized nighttime factory scenes by Carl Julius Rieden and Ernst Wilhelm Knippel, images of opera sets by Carl Friedrich Thiele that employed aquatint, etching, and hand coloring to achieve theatrical grandeur, as well as modernist prints from the Bauhaus.

A special thanks to Marcia Reed for giving us this opportunity to appreciate exemplary prints, not only as works of art and technical achievement, but as enduring works of study that advanced pictorial expression. (And thanks to those Southern California Chapter members who made the trek all the way from San Diego and San Luis Obispo for the event!)

April 28, 2012
A Big Day with Small Books (and other interesting things)

Pall Bohne opened his studio and workshop to 12 APHA members and their guests on a postcard-picture-perfect Saturday afternoon. After a hearty lunch at a nearby Vietnamese restaurant, we traveled north from Rancho Cucamonga to the base of the San Gabriel foothills. Under the shadow of Cucamonga Peak, Pall has built two houses, one of which he lives in with his wife of many years. The other, larger, house is something of a Wunderkammer. The main floor houses his printshop, bindery, darkroom, woodworking studio, machine shop, and forge. There is a library on the third floor.

We started with a tour of the printshop with Pall pointing out various presses such as a C&P platen press which he found in a backyard in El Monte for $60. After refurbishing it he admits that it’s the press he uses most often, although he also has a Washington Hand Press and a very early Vandercook made of cast iron that requires rolling the cylinder to the end of the bed and then inserting paper into the grippers for an impression on the return trip. He also uses an early 20th century Sigwalt tabletop press for some of his work with miniature books.
After admiring some standing type of a planned miniature book – made more interesting by the fact that Pall makes his own photo-engravings – we moved to the darkroom where we were shown his enlarger and Spectra setter for phototypesetting. He has a collection of approximately 4000-5000 rolls of positive film with various fonts. He uses the film to layout text for slate cutting or sign painting.

Pall proceeded to explain his method of producing miniature books. He’s discovered that the easiest and best imposition is horizontal. By printing on a sheet of paper large enough to make 16 pages, he uses half-sheet imposition to created 4 pages. As he explained in a follow-up email,

I do print on a piece of paper large enough to make 16 pages, but only 4 pages are in a strip. After printing 8 pages, I turn the paper over and print 8 more pages on the other side of the paper. After both sides are done that represents a sixteen page signature. I then cut the paper in half the long way and fold one 8 page group and then the other 8 page group is inserted in the first group. If I have laid out the pages correctly when composing the form, the pages will fall in their proper sequence. It is all in the planning stage that things can go wrong or right. But if you just fold a strip and just write the page number or the name of the page, such as "title page" on each page and then when you open up the strip of paper you'll find that the pages are not in a sequence as they are laid out but will be when they are printed and folded. I know it sounds confusing but in any book on printing books there are samples of the so called "imposition" instructions to follow. But it is no trouble to make your own just by folding up a strip and writing on the blank pages a brief indication of what the words on the page will be about.

What eventually results, is a single strip of paper, cut to the height of the finished book. Pall only has to concern himself with parallel folds along the grain. Once the text is printed and folded, he punctures the folded edge with needles placed in a jig that he designed to create evenly-spaced sewing stations. After the text block is sewn, Pall will cut open the folds, creating a deckle effect. Making the cases is another exercise that Pall has mastered. After sending the book cloth through a rolling glue machine (he’s tricked it out to start and stop with a push of a button), Pall aligns the materials on a jig for the precise placement of the boards and spine strip on cloth or leather. These are finely tuned, since working with miniature books require exact measurements and extremely low tolerances. When printing a spine title, Pall has rigged up a guide on his Sigwalt press to ensure that the line of type will be straight on the spine. It’s a simple but effective solution with two card strips that hold the spine in place. He also uses a Kwikprint machine for hot stamping of foils on the spines. After the books have been cased in, he places them between two small boards with a strip of brass running the length of one edge to form the finished joints and places these boards in a multi-clamp contraption that he designed and built for edition work. Pall admitted that although he wasn’t sure where he learned how to do all of this, he needed to create a solution for the production of large editions (500 or more) for which he’s been commissioned by various organizations and for numerous events. After strolling through his woodshop (he turns handles for chisels and burins) and his machine shop (which houses two different mills), we had the chance to admire his Intertype caster (which looks a lot like a linotype caster to the untrained eye) and poke our heads into his forge (where his talents as a blacksmith extend to hammering out parts for printing presses).
    
The day wrapped up with 3 large jugs of sangria, corn chips, and homemade Salsa Santa Fe (the secret is apples & mint jelly) while admiring some of the publications he produced under his Bookhaven Press imprint or other miniature books from his personal collection.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012
A Visit to the Margaret Herrick Library at the Academy of Arts and Motion Picture Sciences

Eight APHA members and their guests attended the field trip to the Margaret Herrick Libraryat the Academy of Arts and Motion Picture Sciences. Led by Anne Coco, the Graphic Arts Librarian, and assisted by our very own Jessica Holada, the Graphic Arts Cataloging Librarian, we received the red carpet treatment during our two hour visit. We gathered in the main hallwayof the historic La Cienega site, formerly the City of Beverly Hills water treatment plant,
built in 1927 (and coincidentally the same year that the Academy was founded). The building was designed to carry heavy loads so it is ideally suited for on-site storage. However, like most libraries, they are out growing the building, which was sensitively rehabilitated and expanded in 1991.

The Herrick Library is open to the public four days a week and the only requirement for access is a photo ID. There are seventy full- and part-time staff at the library as well as an in-house conservator. Salaries and expenses are funded through revenue from the broadcast of the Academy Awards ceremony.

APHA was there to see movie posters, so we were introduced to the library's online catalog, which includes preservation photography of much of the two-dimensional art, thanks in part to a large flat-bed scanner the photography department uses to digitize select the collections. Researchers can filter their search by format, whether they are looking for posters, scripts, books or periodicals. The library receives the papers of actors, directors, costume designers, and other creative professionals in the industry. The use of these special collections materials has increased tremendously in recent years.
Some of the most popular collections with researchers are the Motion Picture Association of American, Production Code Administration Records, which covers the period of censorship enforcement from 1934-1968 (the precursor to today’s MPAA ratings system). The Alfred Hitchcock papers are another heavily used resource in the library. The earliest item in their poster collection is for a Louis Lumiere short from 1895. We also learned that many early posters were printed in Cleveland and shipped to theaters in envelopes, necessitating that they be folded. Once the run was over, the theaters would ship the posters back to the studios or distributors in the same envelope. As Anne noted, if someone claims that they have an early movie poster, look for the fold-creases. If there aren't any, beware of later over-painting or forgeries!

The library has over 42,000 posters and most are stored flat in map drawers. They receive about 4,000 posters each year through donations, culled from collections, and the occasional purchase. If there are duplicates of posters in collections of recent acquisitions, they will suggest other repositories that are appropriate or will keep them to use as trade. They always keep two clean copies. As noted earlier, they are close to capacity since all of these materials (not just the posters but scripts, photographs, papers, etc.) are stored on-site. The Academy itself has three locations, the building on La Cienaga, film vaults in Hollywood, and offices on Wilshire in Beverly Hills. Plans are afoot to redesign the former May Co. building near LACMA and develop Los Angeles' first motion picture museum.

We were led through the development of movie promotion with an explanation of some interesting bits of ephemera, as well as early serial publications. These included, "The Lion's Roar" a house organ of MGM featuring artwork for upcoming movies that only appeared in that magazine, "The Plot Genie" a step-by-step formulary on creating the perfect screen play and character development, early fan magazines from pre-Bollywood India, playing cards with actors' head shots, and cigarette cards with caricatures of actors and the film's synopsis on the verso. We then moved on to posters, arranged in chronological order starting with a wood block type poster for an early W.C. Fields' vaudeville show, Edison's Passion Play, a press book for the Bride of Frankenstein(describing ways to market the film in theaters and samples of articles to plant in newspapers)and other works printed letterpress. Anne then discussed some of the posters printed from stone lithography including cartoon posters (which MGM continued to print from stone until the mid-1950’s, although live action film posters began to be printed offset in 1932. She showed us a collotype for Mae West’s “I’m No Angel, modern linoleum cut posters made by university students for a film festival in Colorado, and some recent acquisitions of limited edition silkscreen posters from Alamo Drafthouse. We got a chance to see many international film posters, including one for a Japanese monster movie, an interpretation of “The Godfather” from Cuba, a French poster for “The Day of the Locust,” the Czech version of “Cabaret,” and the original 1935 poster for Leni Riefenstahl’s “Triumph of the Will.”

Jessica then lead us into the administrative offices where we got to see some production stills, production design sketches for the Academy Award winning “The Artist,” and other staff-favorite movie posters. We had a chance to see where the posters are stored and the tour ended with a surprise, when Anne brought out an Oscar statuette that we all had a chance to hold. This particular statuette has been on a space shuttle flight, but it’s still heavier than you think!

Spring was definitely in the air, the trees were blossoming, the peacocks were strutting, and nine APHA members enjoyed a beautiful day at the Arboretum Library in Arcadia. Located near the front entrance of the 127-acrea Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden, the library generously opened its doors to us and we were treated to a day of books and printing. The library actually got its start before the Arboretum and it is open to the public with most of the 20,000 items in the collection available for members to borrow. The first librarian was appointed in 1971, who believed that a reference library helps patrons with reference questions, rather than the original objective of creating a research collection for Arboretum staff—a philosophy that obviously continues. Our host and the Arboretum Librarian, Susan Eubank thoughtfully arranged collections in broad categories, medicinal, botany/horticulture, and California specimens.

Arranged in roughly chronological order, we were shown the earliest book in the collection, an herbal from 1578. Susan explained to us that it hasn’t been until her appointment that a “special collections” area of non-circulating books was moved to a secure area. Otherwise, all the materials are out on open shelves and available for browsing.

We were shown examples of early English horticulture and garden design books, eighteenth-century garden periodicals, a gorgeous elephant folio of full-color botanical illustrations from 1832, published from one of Captain Cook’s voyages of discovery, early and modern textbooks, citrus growers’ promotional literature, early California nursery catalogs (which are also available on the library’s website), and many other samples of historical subjects, plant lore, ethnobotany, environmental issues, and local history. Although we were only shown printed items, the library does collect slides, CDs, videotapes, DVDs, and photographs.

All of the library’s collection is housed onsite and the salaries and expenses are paid through a public/private partnership with Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation and the Arboretum Society.  The Library welcomes volunteers and donations (both financial and in-kind), and they are open daily, except Monday.

As we were wrapping up, one of the arborists came in and gave an impromptu talk about the extensive damage the gardens has suffered during an intense wind storm in December of 2011. Hundreds of trees were either damaged or destroyed in what was estimated to be the “epicenter” of hurricane force winds. There was no evidence of destruction the day we visited.

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The APHA board has agreed to move forward with a redesign of the APHA website. The front page will feature articles, news and a calendar, and will replace the pdf newsletter. While a Summer launch is expected, the editor is now seeking short articles of 200-400 words in length, plus images. Please write to website@printinghistory.org.

The 2013 Winter Newsletter, featuring a summary of the Annual Meeting in New York is now available. Download or read online.

Individual and Institutional Awards for distinguished achievement in printing history were presented at our Annual membership Saturday, January 26. Details.

Back issues of Printing History are now on sale at a deep discount at Rochester Institute of Technology Press

The complete listing of Printing History's contents have been put back online. See the contents (and a few select articles) from the Original Series, or a complete listing of the New Series. See something you like? Order Directly from RIT Press.

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