Please join us for the annual Gillett G. Griffin Memorial lecture with guest Russell Maret, book artist and letter designer.

The British private press holds such a strong gravitational pull over the bibliophilic imagination that it can be difficult to acknowledge that there is a thriving private press tradition in the twenty-first century. Appearance has a lot to do with it: the books of today don’t look like the books of the Kelmscott, Doves, Ashendene or other British presses, so surely they don't fall into the same category. But is a private press book designated by its physical attributes or by the motivations behind its making? Is it a thing only, or an idea also? When closely examined, the historical circumstances from which the British presses grew have many parallels within the conditions behind the current Book Arts revival. The dislocations incumbent within the industrialized society of the late nineteenth century have only been exacerbated in the digital age, further alienating people from the objects they make and consume, and sparking an equally fervent desire to find meaning and balance in one’s work and life. In this talk, Russell Maret will discuss these broader ideas through the lens of his own career making books and typefaces, and sketch out some emerging directions within the contemporary private press.

Registration to join us in person closes Friday, May 13.

If you would like to join us virtually, please register here.