A new book being published by the press.

AREOPAGITICA by John Milston

John Milton’s
Areopagitica

A good Booke is the precious life-blood of a master spirit, imbalm’d 
and treasur’d up on purpose to a life beyond life

The book will be available in an edition of twenty-six copies.
Ten copies are full dark-red Niger leather, and sixteen are one-quarter leather with decorated paper sides. All copies are bound by Gray Parrot.
The book is 44 pages, printed on Twinrocker handmade paper.
The trim size is 8.125 x 12.75.

The frontispiece is a portrait of the author, John Milton, cut into wood by Barry Moser. This is the first portrait of Milton cut by Moser.

Composition for the text was accomplished using a Welliver interface on an English Monotype caster in 12 point italic long descender Janson.
The running heads are set in the Merrymount “Dutch” type, cast by John Kristensen from mats originally electrotyped by D. B. Updike for the printing of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer.
Display type on the title page has also been cast from the original mats made for the two-line initials drawn for the Book of Common Prayer by W. A. Dwiggins.
Designed and printed in two colors throughout at the press.

There are three other fine editions (I believe) of this book, printed by Rampant Lions, Eragny, and Doves.

Areopagitica was published on 23 November 1644 at the height of the English Civil War.

Copies I-X are $3200.00
Copies XI-XXVI are $2500.00

A Welliver system is coming.

We decided to take the plunge, and in about 12 weeks we should have a Welliver interface up in Bar Mills so we can set on the Comp casters directly from computer files. WooHoo!!

March 23 2021

We have decided to acquire approximately 360 cases of type from Darrell Hyder. Looking forward to moving it, and we have the space to put it!

The Giant Furniture

It’s a huge chase to fill, so we needed to get the Giant Furniture rack from Darell Hyder. The largest piece is 80 x 120 Picas.

Moving Day

This past Wednesday we moved in the 900 lb composing Stone from Darrell Hyder’s Sun Hill Press. Luckily we had the equipment to move it.

September 21

Much saddened to learn of the passing of a most gentlemanly gracious man, Alexander Altschuller of Boston, COV member since 2000.

.9/18 2020 The new website launched (note type high)

After approximately 20 years, we came to realize in these strange times that an updated website was necessary. Most gracious thanks go to Matthew Young, of Matthew Young Design. We will try to keep updating this blog (we will see) on a fairly regular basis on what is happening at the press. This past week we printed a sell sheet in three colors for Black Sparrow Press, printed a broadside for the Club of Odd Volumes in an edition of 25 hand set in Baskerville, sent the Grolier Club Annual Reports to press, and filmed a short video about the press for the University of Southern Maine’s Book Arts program. That video can be seen by clicking HERE.