BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.4.3//EN TZID:America/Los_Angeles X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:VEVENT UID:559@1718.ucla.edu DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261113T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261113T170000 DTSTAMP:20261013T175734Z URL:https://1718.ucla.edu/events/ca-fine-press/ SUMMARY:William Andrews Clark Jr.\, California Fine Press\, Independent Pub lishing\, and Literary Activity in Los Angeles DESCRIPTION:\n\n\nOrganized by Johanna Drucker\, Distinguished Professor an d Breslauer Professor Emerita\, Department of Information Studies (Univers ity of California\, Los Angeles)\n\nThe connection between William Andrews Clark Jr. and the fine press community that emerged in Southern Californi a in the 1930s is evident in the extensive collections assembled in his li fetime and after. This conference reflects on the role of Clark and his Li brary in the broader range of literary and publishing activity in the deca des after its founding.\n\nFrom 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 t he result of the activities of Ward Ritchie working in the orbit of Jake Z eitlin whose bookstore served as a major node of social and professional c onnections 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 Libra ry that provide insight into the development of fine printing and its rela tion to literary and artistic activity in the 1930s. The region did not su pport 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 t he early twentieth century and fine press productions were mainly derivati ve in style\, based on other modern and humanist revival approaches. Write rs of note and significant literary merit were part of the Hollywood indus try\, but their work was in a separate sphere and played a small part in s mall press and independent publishing activities.\n\nIn the later twentiet h century and into the present\, literary activity in the Los Angeles regi on continued to diversify and expand. California fine press production\, i n the manner established in Clark’s original collection through the work and vision of Lawrence Clark Powell during his term as Librarian\, has co ntinued\, but its role and profile have shifted from the identity it had i n the 1930s when it served as part of the aspirational vision of affluent collectors eager to demonstrate standards of taste. The founding of the Ro unce and Coffin Club by Ritchie and others\, alongside the more establishm ent-oriented Zamorano Club\, supported private collectors building a commu nity of like-minded individuals. Meanwhile\, independent publishing and sm all press activity in support of poetry\, activism\, community voices\, an d experimental literature has created other networks of literary activity. \n\nAt this point in the twenty-first century\, revisiting the connection between Clark and the fine press community provides insight into one aspec t of the cultural and social life of Los Angeles by addressing the aesthet ic profile of the individuals and presses and situating it within a broade r context. Much can be learned from the study of these materials\, their r esearch value has been under-explored—as per my experience of studying a nd teaching the Paul Landacre archives and the California Fine Press colle ctions.\n\nWhile there are exceptional\, unusual items among the fine pres s works\, the larger context of their circulation and reception provides c ritical insight beyond the aesthetics of the book. This conference seeks t o situate the profile of the Clark Library collections within the history of Los Angeles’s cultural identity\, including its exclusions\, provinci alism\, aspirations\, and transformations. The set of panels on this histo ry and the lineage/legacy of fine printing and/or independent literary pub lishing 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 m ay have implications for the Library’s mission ahead.\n\nSpeakers\n\nJoh n Bidwell\, Curator Emeritus\, Morgan Library &\; Museum\nHelena de Lem os\, Curator of Special Collections\, Occidental College\nJohn Howell\, Ow ner\, John Howell for Books\nDavid Kipen\, University of California\, Los Angeles\; Los Angeles Times\; 21st-Century Federal Writers’ Project\nWil liam Mohr\, Professor Emeritus\, California State University\, Long Beach\ nBonnie Thompson Norman\, Proprietor\, The Windowpane Press\nPatrick Reagh \, Printmaker\, Patrick Reagh Printers\nBrian Kim Stefans\, Professor of E nglish\, University of California\, Los Angeles\nPaul Vangelisti\, Profess or Emeritus\, Otis College of Art &\; Design\n\nProgram Schedule\n\n8:3 0 a.m.\nCoffee and Registration\n\n9:00 a.m.\nHead Librarian’s Welcome\n Derek Christian Quezada Meneses\, University of California\, Los Angeles\n Introduction\nJohanna Drucker\, University of California\, Los Angeles\n\n Session 1: Fine Press Communities 1920s-1950s\, Social Networks\, Cultural Scene\n\n9:30 a.m.\nHelena de Lemos\, Special Collections Librarian\, Occ idental College\n“Bound by Ink: Fine Press Communities in Los Angeles\, 1920s-1930s”\n\n10:00 a.m. \nJohn Howell\, Owner\, John Howell for Books \n“Lucille Miller - Sex\, Class\, and Book Collecting in Los Angeles\, 1 920-1968”\n\n10:30 a.m.\nDiscussion\n\nSession 2: Collectors\, Dealers\, Patrons and Publishing\, Libraries—Who Knew Who\n\n10:45 a.m.\nBonnie T hompson Norman\, Proprietor\, The Windowpane Press\n“How Walking into th e Big Red Barn Changed My Life”\n\n11:15 a.m.\nJohn Bidwell\, Curator Em eritus\, Morgan Library &\; Museum\n“The Clark and the Los Angeles Fi ne Printing Community”\n\n11:45 a.m.\nDiscussion\n\nNoon - 1:00 p.m.\nLu nch\nExhibition of Clark Library materials in the North Book Room\n\nSessi on 3: Literary Communities\n\n1:00 p.m.\nWilliam Mohr\, Professor Emeritus \, California State University\, Long Beach\n"Imprints of a Vanishing City : Los Angeles and Its Poetic Adherents"\n\n1:30 p.m\nBrian Kim Stefans\, P rofessor of English\, University of California\, Los Angeles\n“Wagon &am p\; Star: Dion O'Donnol and the Fine Press That Fell through the Catalogue ”\n\n2:00 p.m.\nDiscussion\n\n2:15 - 2:30 p.m.\nCoffee Break\n\nSession 4: Literary Publishing: Printers\, Publishers\, Presses\n\n2:30 p.m.\nPaul Vangelisti\, Professor Emeritus\, Otis College of Art &\; Design\n“S omething to Read”\n\n3:00 p.m.\nPatrick Reagh\, Printmaker\, Patrick Rea gh Printers\n“Printed by Pat Reagh: Impressions of the Fine Press Commun ity”\n\n3:30 p.m.\nDiscussion\n\nSession 5: Larger View of Los Angeles a nd Literary Activity\, Libraries and Collections\n\n3:45 p.m.\nDavid Kipen \, University of California\, Los Angeles\; Los Angeles Times\; 21st-Centu ry Federal Writers’ Project\n“Jilted by Posterity: Seven Forgotten L. A. Writers Who Shouldn’t Be Better-Known”\n\n4:15 p.m.\nDiscussion\n\n 4:30 p.m.\nJohanna Drucker\nClosing remarks\n\n5:00 p.m. \nConclusion\n\n\ n\nThis event is free to attend with advance registration and will be held in-person at the Clark Library. Seating is limited. Walk-in registrants a re welcome as space permits. Registration will close on Monday\, November 9\, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.\n\n\n\nLoading…\n\n\n\nImage: Left: Marjorie Butle r\, 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\, desig ned by Alvin Lustig. Los Angeles: Ward Ritchie Press\, 1940. Right: Bruce McCallister\, The Zamorano Club. Los Angeles:1929. CATEGORIES:Conferences LOCATION:UCLA William Andrews Clark Memorial Library\, 2520 Cimarron Street \, Los Angeles\, California\, 90018\, United States GEO:34.033012;-118.314487 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=2520 Cimarron Street\, Los Angeles\, California\, 90018\, United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=UC LA William Andrews Clark Memorial Library:geo:34.033012,-118.314487 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Los_Angeles X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Los_Angeles BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20261101T010000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0800 TZNAME:PST END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR