OT Fine Press artwork

I was curious what book collectors hang on their wall space (assuming any is left once bookshelves have been placed everywhere).

Do the works of any fine presses adorn your walls as well as your shelves?

I have a few from actual presses, such as Midnight Paper Sales and No Reply:



I also enjoy aquatints and linocuts. And of course, the tree theme continues off the shelves...

I think that I have five mounted and on the walls - I do have other artwork, and have many other book related artwork (including the No Reply you showed).

The five that are currently displayed are:

1. Wood Engraving by Simon Brett featuring ‘Text’ from Henry David Thoreau & Khalil Gibran, 1984

The famous quotation from Thoreau's 'Walden' (1854) forms the principle text within the image, and its preceding passage is also depicted in an intricate mixture of textures and layouts. The border contains the Khalil Gibran quote from 'The Prophet': 'You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might pray also in the fulness of your joy and in your days of abundance'.

2. John Lawrence as seen here:
https://www.artofthebook.co.uk/product-page/all-afloat-coat-1

3. Durham Lockout by Corvus Works - https://corvusworks.co.uk/order-publications/durham-lockout-by-tommy-armstrong-t...

4. An engraving by Ravilious which was used in the Golden Cockerel Twelfth Night which he signed for a former student. Oddly I have also managed to pick up all (?) the artwork from that production separately alongside the borders (and some of the text in sheets) though this is unsigned (and on far larger paper than the actual book).

5. A Clive Knights collage purchased via No Reply press that was one of the images inspired by Ursula Le Guin’s The Ones who Walk Away from Omelas

There are some others that I have thought of framing and adding to walls. I like the No Reply broadsides though was unsure whether to pick one of two to frame or do a series, and love Cafe Dansart No 2 from the Fleece Press

Not fine press but book related, I have a couple of Patrick Hughes’ reverspective and one of them shows books:
https://www.artsy.net/artwork/patrick-hughes-bookish-1

Who has wall space? My walls are covered in bookcases!

What little wall space I have is given over to fine art and two large elaborately framed photos.

The photos are of Charles E. Conrad, founder of Kalispell, Montana, and his son, C. E. Conrad, Jr. Why? Because my late wife and I have been researching this gentleman and his family for many years. I've posted some of the results of that research on my history blog.

The art: One is a framed reproduction of a Rossetti painting, La Ghirlandata, another is a stunning original oil of a timber wolf by local artist Al Schneider and the third is a pastoral landscape (original oil) by Linda Katsuda. We used to do her taxes and bought a couple of pieces from her. The other one is in storage somewhere for lack of wall space.

I have a framed facsimile of a page from an incunabula--the title of which escapes me--featuring a large rubricated initial letter which used to hang on our wall, but now is stored away somewhere.

Cool idea for a topic.

I collected prints (mostly etchings and aquatints) for several years before I started on books, so a lot of those take up a lot of my wall-space. Some are tangential to fine press, e.g., I have several woodcuts done by Leonard Baskin (Gehenna Press), but my wife long ago convinced me that I should take them to my office; she is not a fan of the aesthetic. I also have several modern broadsides (letterpress with etchings). About 90% of my prints are stored flat between paper.

The only one that's hanging that is directly related to a fine press book is a multi-plate etching by Debra Weier (Emanon Press) that she did for her book A Merz Sonata, a poem by Jerome Rothenberg honoring Schwitters.

Sort of fine-press adjacent, I bought several sheets of Curwen patterned paper years ago and had them separately framed for my kids' rooms. They're colorful and look great on the walls.

Beyond that, I have a few collages behind glass, and one painting up right now.

Mostly non-book art, but a couple of Fritz Eichenberg prints.

I have a variety of original artwork on my walls; mostly from artists in St Ives, Cornwall (my favourite place), but I do have a couple of fine press pieces, namely a framed Guido Morris poster for an Open Day at his St Ives studio, a framed poem and painting by Giles Scupham, printed on his father Peter’s press, plus I have an original pen and ink drawing by Rigby Graham that was intended for use in a fine press edition but never did. I also have loads of frame-ready editioned wood engravings that have yet to get anywhere near to being on a wall, but as someone said above, I really don’t have the space because of books! 😁

I'm not sure if this falls under fine press under the definitions used here, but I have some etchings by Charles van Sandwyk, who sometimes creates his own hand-made books using etchings, so it might fit.

I have a nontrivial number of broadsides, prospecti, and leaves waiting for proper framing.

Herman Melville is my favorite author and I really like Barry Moser's woodcut art so the one original I have in my office is the frontispiece to Arion Press's selected poems. There's a gallery that sells Barry's art that had a few of these available.

https://www.thewholebookexperience.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Melville-10.jp...

>1 EdmundRodriguez: I’m still disappointed I missed that No Reply print! That would’ve gone right on my wall.

Otherwise, I tend to display broadsides more than fine press prints without text. TheLone Oak Thoreau broadsides are a favorite of mine, although I’ve also got Leguin’s Torrey’s Pine Reserve out as well.

>9 abysswalker: This is me as well, though I do have a floating frame for some No Reply broadsides.

At the moment the only significant artwork on my wall is a wood-and-fabric mid-century motif piece.

I’ve yet to get these reframed, or actually hung up, but they are art. The one in the back is an etching from Nansen’s Passport, in the standard/deluxe editions it’s inside the box for a cool effect.

The oils are illustration prototypes/inspiration for an upcoming edition of The Maelstrom, by Skaar. (A careful observer can also see me trying to avoid being caught in the reflection)

I have some works from the recent John Grice ephemera collection that I want to get framed in the future too.



OT: If any active presses have any collections of ephemera for sale feel free to reach out. I find myself gravitating towards book leaves and larger format work, but anything letterpress is interesting in its own right. I have a set from no reply at present (a good deal, Griffon was also kind enough to explain each piece via a note), and a couple from closed presses.

Another relevant arrival this morning from Paul Kershaw. It's a working proof of one of the prints in Running Rings (my favourite from the book). It was printed from several blocks on thin, light brown Japanese paper which was then laminated on to some firmer paper. Looking forward to getting it framed and on a wall!



For comparison, this is the version that ultimately made it into the book:

>14 EdmundRodriguez: Very beautiful! It will look great on the wall.

>14 EdmundRodriguez: That’s a beauty! But then Paul is the master!!

>14 EdmundRodriguez: What a handsome print! The version you got is indeed much superior, both in content and in printing. The light and shadow are so crisp.

I did a book long ago with a printmaker named Thomas Huck, who I knew as a young man in graduate school. I have a number of his large prints that were gifted to me during the project. Mrs. SHP never wanted them in the house, so I've been carrying them around for years. They are beautifully intricate, large woodcuts. I have been wanting to find a good way to sell them responsibly but am at a loss as to how to do so. If anyone here who collects prints can advise as to where I can list prints for sale, I would be grateful.

Otherwise, my walls are littered with prints from artists I've worked with over the years, including Lad Hanka, who is remarkable with trees.