William Andrews Clark Jr., California Fine Press, Independent Publishing, and Literary Activity in Los Angeles

Organized by Johanna Drucker, Distinguished Professor and Breslauer Professor Emerita, Department of Information Studies (University of California, Los Angeles)

The connection between William Andrews Clark Jr. and the fine press community that emerged in Southern California in the 1930s is evident in the extensive collections assembled in his lifetime and after. This conference reflects on the role of Clark and his Library in the broader range of literary and publishing activity in the decades after its founding.

From his initial interests in antiquarian books, Clark extended his engagement to direct patronage of John Henry Nash, a San Francisco printer known for his exquisite book design and exclusive clientele. But the emergence of fine printing in Los Angeles was in part the result of the activities of Ward Ritchie working in the orbit of Jake Zeitlin whose bookstore served as a major node of social and professional connections in the community. Most of this activity flourished after Clark’s death in 1934, however, and was not part of the original core focus. The Ritchie papers are one of several key collections at the Clark Library that provide insight into the development of fine printing and its relation to literary and artistic activity in the 1930s. The region did not support the same level of printing—or literary culture—as the Bay Area, and in some ways remained a provincial outpost until well after World War II and mid-century. Few literary figures of note can be identified from the early twentieth century and fine press productions were mainly derivative in style, based on other modern and humanist revival approaches. Writers of note and significant literary merit were part of the Hollywood industry, but their work was in a separate sphere and played a small part in small press and independent publishing activities.

In the later twentieth century and into the present, literary activity in the Los Angeles region continued to diversify and expand. California fine press production, in the manner established in Clark’s original collection through the work and vision of Lawrence Clark Powell during his term as Librarian, has continued, but its role and profile have shifted from the identity it had in the 1930s when it served as part of the aspirational vision of affluent collectors eager to demonstrate standards of taste. The founding of the Rounce and Coffin Club by Ritchie and others, alongside the more establishment-oriented Zamorano Club, supported private collectors building a community of like-minded individuals. Meanwhile, independent publishing and small press activity in support of poetry, activism, community voices, and experimental literature has created other networks of literary activity.

At this point in the twenty-first century, revisiting the connection between Clark and the fine press community provides insight into one aspect of the cultural and social life of Los Angeles by addressing the aesthetic profile of the individuals and presses and situating it within a broader context. Much can be learned from the study of these materials, their research value has been under-explored—as per my experience of studying and teaching the Paul Landacre archives and the California Fine Press collections.

While there are exceptional, unusual items among the fine press works, the larger context of their circulation and reception provides critical insight beyond the aesthetics of the book. This conference seeks to situate the profile of the Clark Library collections within the history of Los Angeles’s cultural identity, including its exclusions, provincialism, aspirations, and transformations. The set of panels on this history and the lineage/legacy of fine printing and/or independent literary publishing in Los Angeles over the last hundred years allows us to reflect on the value of the Clark collections within larger conversations about the history of collecting, the role of the Library, and other matters that may have implications for the Library’s mission ahead.

Speakers
John Bidwell, Curator Emeritus, Morgan Library & Museum
Helena de Lemos, Curator of Special Collections, Occidental College
John Howell, Owner, John Howell for Books
David Kipen, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Times, 21st-Century Federal Writers’ Project
William Mohr, Professor Emeritus, California State University, Long Beach
Bonnie Thompson Norman, Proprietor, The Windowpane Press
Patrick Reagh, Printmaker, Patrick Reagh Printers
Victoria Steele, Librarian and Curator Emerita, University of California, Los Angeles
Brian Kim Stefans, Professor of English, University of California, Los Angeles
Paul Vangelisti, Professor Emeritus, Otis College of Art & Design

This event is free to attend with advance registration and will be held in-person at the Clark Library. Seating is limited. Walk-in registrants are welcome as space permits. The registration form will be posted here approximately one month in advance of the program.

Image: Left: Marjorie Butler, This Great Age of Printing: Some Examples from the Leading Modern Fine Presses and Designers. Los Angeles: Zeitlin Books, 1930. Middle: Alfred Young Fisher, Lawrence Clark Powell, ed. Ghost in the Underblows, designed by Alvin Lustig. Los Angeles: Ward Ritchie Press, 1940. Right: Bruce McCallister, The Zamorano Club. Los Angeles:1929.