Book History – Of Paper and Ink

The Pennyroyal Press Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass w/Barry Moser Engravings

Posted on March 1, 2022February 24, 2022 by BookLifeStudio

These are photos of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, printed at Pennyroyal Press in 1982 with wood engravings by Barry Moser. Bookbinder Philip Smith completed the forwarding of these two fine press books over in the U.K., but the binding was not completed before his death. He made a notation on the colophon at the back of both regarding when he had started the forwarding of the books.

Bodleian Library at Oxford

Posted on December 2, 2019November 30, 2019 by BookLifeStudio

One of the highlights from the trip to the UK was visiting the Bodleian Library and receiving a behind-the-scenes tour from rare books curator, Dr. Francesca Galligan.

A Bibliophile’s Tour of London

Posted on November 28, 2019 by BookLifeStudio

To start our book world exploration, Anthony Davis, solicitor, scholar of distinction, and bibliophile, provided us with two, half-day private tours around specific areas of London, such as Bloomsbury, that were rich in history related to literature and books.

History of Typography Class

Posted on October 29, 2018July 16, 2021 by BookLifeStudio

This year's California Rare Book School course was on the history of typography, taught by Paul Shaw, designer and design historian, with Grendl Löfkvist, printer and Education Director at the Letterform Archive.

Rare Book School Course: History of Women Printers

Posted on August 28, 2017August 27, 2017 by BookLifeStudio

Two weeks ago I took my annual California Rare Book School course up at UC Berkeley. I’m slowly working towards a Professional Certificate in Rare Books and Manuscripts. This year’s course was entitled "Printing at the Margins: The History of Women Printers" and taught by Kathleen Walkup, a Master Printer and Professor at the Mills College Book Art Program.

First Trip to the Huntington Library

Posted on June 20, 2017June 20, 2017 by BookLifeStudio

Last week while on a trip to Los Angeles, I went to San Marino to visit the Huntington Library. The library is part of a larger estate with art museums and gardens, but because I only had half a day to visit, I spent every minute in the library that I had been reading about for several years.

Beauty and the Book

Posted on February 21, 2017February 22, 2017 by BookLifeStudio

Professor Megan Benton, in her book Beauty and the Book: Fine Editions and Cultural Distinction in America, examines the role of the book in the early decades of the Twentieth Century. The book included a history of fine printing in America during this time period. However, I was mainly reading it to find out more about … Continue reading Beauty and the Book