He’s a Bookish Treasure Greg Campbell has been a key player in the Twin Cities book arts community for decades. He learned the bookbinding trade from his father, who owned Campbell-Logan Bindery before passing it along to Greg. In 1979, Greg invested in a bold expansion of the family bindery when he rehabilitated an old […]
When finishing the hand binding of a single signature book, a decision must be made where to tie off the knot: inside or outside of the cover. On the outside, the knot and the extending thread will be immediately visible. If tied off at the center […]
Sometimes I chance upon stories that fascinate me and today was one of those days. In my “spam” folder–why it ended up there I have no clue–I found a copy of Mark Michelson’s column in the on-line version of Printing Impressions. It’s about Otto Boutin’s captivating book Otto’s Night Watch. Michelson reproduces there “Love Letter to an Old […]
For years I have had the chance to volunteer at the Minnesota Newspaper Museum at the Minnesota State Fair. A few years back it was a self-contained museum in the fair’s Heritage Square section of the fair grounds. Today, the museum, owned by the Minnesota Newspaper Foundation, is located in the 4-H building. The […]
In life often we find doors opening to us that we never considered would be there. Such was the case when I wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper. The letter was never published, but the editor kept it in his file and years later called me because he was writing a book about […]
One of the reasons I got into printing way back when was because I wanted to be a publisher and the only way I could afford to be one was to become my own printer. Actually, I’m glad I didn’t have much money because my life as a printer has been a grand experience. But […]
As we slide into another Fourth of July weekend, I want to thank all of you for your support and book, pamphlet and broadside orders. Without great people like you, independent publishers in this country would be out of business. We owe you all a debt of gratitude, so I send my thanks. And […]
God died, Nietzsche reported in 1883. Wait, not so fast there Mr. Nietzsche! Sometimes statements capture the essence of theology and philosophy with brevity, with insight and with humor. I came across one some months back and decided it needed to be letterpress printed into a broadside. You can click on it here for more […]
One of the grand things about being a printer/publisher is the marvelous collection of people you meet, many of whom, if I hadn’t chosen this work, would never have entered my life. In fact, meeting these people has been one of the principle un-taxed riches I have enjoyed. When I bought my first press and […]
From time to time I have taken camera in hand and toured my little letterpress shop in an attempt to capture some of the flavor of the old machines that make my work possible. The views my camera captured might be interesting so have posted a few of them here. I find each of the […]