Our exhibit features a selection of beautifully illustrated books on loan from the collection of Bill Heidrich, a long-time supporter of the University of Michigan Library. These books stand as remarkable testaments to the work of twentieth-century small private presses, which, in contrast to the trend of mass commercialization, produced limited editions that celebrated the uniqueness of manual craftsmanship. Features such as exquisite typeface design, letterpress printing, handmade paper, traditional illustration techniques like woodcut and engraving, and the inclusion of original art by renowned artists, highlight the presses’ dedication to artistry and detail.
You are cordially invited to the opening reception at the Hatcher Gallery Space on January 23rd at 10:00 am: Coffee with the Curators: A Conversation with Bill Heidrich.
From Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1342/3-1400). The works of Geoffrey Chaucer: now newly imprinted. Edited by F. S. Ellis; ornamented with pictures designed by Sir Edward Burne-Jones, and engraved on wood by W. H. Hooper. [Hammersmith: William Morris at the Kelmscott Press, 1896]
Edward Gordon Craig (1872-1966). Annotated proof by E. G. Craig in preparation for The Cranach Press edition of Hamlet: William Shakespeare (1564-1616). Die Tragische Geschichte von Hamlet Prinzen von Daenemark. Translated by Gerhart Hauptmann. Illustrated by Edward Gordon Craig. Weimar: The Cranach Press, 1928
Woodcut from Herman Meville (1819-1891). Encantadas. Two Sketches from Herman Melville’s Enchanted Isles. With woodcuts by Rico Lebrun. Northampton, MA: The Gehenna Press, 1963