The Petrarch Press » About the Petrarch Press

Why We Do It

William — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 00:22:26 +0000

HAVE YOU EVER marveled at the beauty of an Austin Healey, or appreciated the craftsmanship of an antique roll top desk and thought, “They just don’t make things like that any more”? Have you ever found a beautiful old book in your grandfather’s study, or discovered a gem in the rare book collection at your library and wondered why books today don’t give you the same thrill to hold and enjoy?

We have. And we are passionate about bringing that joy back! The aim of the Petrarch Press is to preserve the tradition of fine press printing and share the beauty of fine press with this generation, the next generation and many generations to come. We create, by hand, letter by letter, page by page, lasting fine-press editions of important world literature for today’s fast paced world. And in doing so we teach the skills necessary to keep the tradition alive and share the beauty of traditional fine-press books with the public. We maintain a library with historical examples of fine-press printing and reference books on all aspects of the book arts: calligraphy, press operation, punch cutting, and with bibliographies of the great historical fine presses. We have restored several antique presses and have all the tools needed to produce fine press books. We still know how to print on parchment and we are keeping this costly and time consuming form alive. Instead of making books that rely on graphics and images, we focus on elegant typography and printing craftsmanship.

Of course we appreciate the advances of this modern world (you are, after all, reading this on our web site), but if you gave us a choice between a classic Bentley and a new Toyota, you know which one we would pick.

Peter Bishop’s Petrarch Press (1985-1996)

kimberly — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 23:46:48 +0000

The Petrarch Press was founded in California’s Sierra foothills in 1985 by Peter Bishop with the aim to publish important world literature in fine, hand-printed editions. Starting out “with Lewis Allen’s Printing with the Handpress in one hand and a composing stick in the other”, and inspired by the work of Joseph Blumenthal and Giovanni Mardersteig, Peter taught himself to print, in the tradition of earlier fine-press printers, on his 1865 cast-iron Albion Super Royal handpress. Peter then accepted the additional challenge of learning to print on parchment, a material used by early fine printers for special copies of important books. This became a hallmark of the Petrarch Press, where a number of special copies of every major book were printed on sheepskin parchment.

Peter soon moved his press to New York City, where he continued to publish books, and to accept commissions for fine printing, including greeting cards, invitations, brochures, and special books. Peter returned to California in 1995, and retired from printing the following year.

In the summer of 2002, Peter was diagnosed with cancer, which galvanized a group of his friends to re-establish, before his death in March 2003, the Petrarch Press as a non-profit organization dedicated to continuing Peter’s directions and printing standards and to promoting the book arts.

For a description of the books Peter Bishop issued, see our Handlist of the Petrarch Press’s early publications.

Revival of the Petrarch Press (2002-Present)

pressadmin — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 04:15:24 +0000

THE PETRARCH PRESS in Oregon House, California is a revival and expansion of the late Peter Bishop’s own Petrarch Press, which produced a series of special, hand-printed, limited editions both in Northern California and in New York City from 1985 through 1996. The Petrarch Press now builds on the rich history of 110 years of fine-press printing, using our passion and standards of refinement to create lasting fine editions of great world literature with a focus on typography.

The new Petrarch Press is formed as a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, and is supported by donations from its supporters and by the sale of its books. With the help of a small group of dedicated volunteers, the Press aims to continue the tradition of creating hand-printed books in a world that increasingly values ephemeral information over timeless values.

Memberships

pressadmin — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 03:09:35 +0000

The Petrarch Press is a member of: