Oak Knoll Fest & Lead Graffiti
New Castle, Delaware
October 4th - 5th
The weekend of October 4-5 was the fifteenth annual Oak Knoll fest, a trek into the world of fine press printing. About a dozen members of the Chesapeake Chapter of the American Printing History Association ventured to New Castle, Delaware to look at the work of 40 fine press printers from the US, Canada, and England. On the drive back the group stopped at Lead Graffiti in Newark, Delaware, a letterpress shop run by chapter members Jill Cypher & Ray Nichols.
Below are some images highlighting events of the weekend.
The theme of both a keynote talk on Saturday and a panel discussion on Sunday were directed at the 50th anniversary of fine press printing by Henry Morris of Bird & Bull Press.
Bob Fleck, owner of Oak Knoll Books, welcomed the gathered crowd and introduced Henry Morris.
Henry described his early days as a 'fine' press printer which sounded like he had a lot to learn after he finished printing his first book.
A view of the crowd in The Arsenal.
Bob and Henry exchanging barbs and it appeared to be damn difficult to get the upperhand on Henry who loudly expresses his often irreverent opinion and recollection of events.
Here John Randle of Whittington Press in England discusses his offerings to an interested customer.
This was the first year that Oak Knoll Fest was on exhibit in the New Castle Senior center which offered good parking and far better light than in past years. Attendance seemed a bit lower than previous years, a likely circumstance of the economic problems abounding today.
Our own chapter member, Stan Nelson, had a table promoting several books while he demonstrated punch cutting. It was wonderful to see the process in action.
Stan's demonstration gave everyone a great look at the tools and various stages of the process of punchcutting.
Interstate-95 problems keep the complete group from connecting, but here is the largest that gathered in New Castle's Battery Park for lunch.
After everyone left Oak Knoll there was a stop-off at Lead Graffiti.
Mike Kaylor, Jill Cypher, and Greg Robison, use one of Lead Graffiti's iron hand presses as a table to look through a recent mailing from APA highlighted by a nice poster by Chesapeake Chapter president Mike Denker.
Greg Robison listens to Mike Denker explain his APA poster which he had designed as a type specimen sheet.
Chris Sweterlitsch took the opportunity to look through some free samples of Lead Graffiti's work along with digging through more than a few type cases.
Rebecca Johnson Melvin (Special Collections at the University of Delaware Library), Roland Hoover, and Chris Manson share some stories.
Stuart Bradley looking through some of Lead Graffiti's recent work.
Greg Robison, Roland Hoover and Ray Nichols look at the amount of movement a pull generates on Lead Graffiti's new (1890) Albion iron handpress.
Mike Kaylor who is a partner in Lead Graffiti and Jill Cypher were discussing a presentation being made to CNN to see if Lead Graffiti can offer some online graphics through the rest of the election season.
Jill Cypher welcomes Sara Stone and Chris Manson to Lead Graffiti and Chris seems a bit surprised with the space.
Part of the exhibition wall with samples of Lead Graffiti's past work through Raven Press at the University of Delaware and Wallflowers Press.
It seemed a good time was had by all.
A few images from the Sunday panel discussion focused on working with Henry Morris at Oak Knoll Fest.
Author Sydney Berger, who had written four books published by Henry Morris, easily with the funniest 'Henry' stories had the audience in tears.
