A celebration of
chapter member
Roland Hoover's
80th birthday,
January 16, 2009
An enthusiastic group of twenty Chesapeake Chapter members of the American Printing History Association and special guests joined together at the El Mariachi restaurant to celebrate the birthday of fellow member Roland Hoover. Roland is the proprietor of Pembroke Press which he established in 1957. For the past fifty years, the Pembroke Press has printed by letterpress for the persons, institutions, and causes that engage the sympathy of its proprietor, who long ago discovered “the quintessential joy, the irreplaceable fascination, of handiwork in a warm and windowed room” as Carl Rollins expressed it.
I don't think any of the chapter member letterpress printers would argue that among us Roland is the top of the ladder.
You can see a few samples of his letterpress work here.
One van load entering the restaurant. Left to right: Stuart Bradley, Tray Nichols, Val Lucas, Pat Manson, Greg Robison, and Jill Cypher.
The group starting to maneuver for seating positions. L>R: Stan Nelson, Mike Denker (barely), Jim Walczak, Francheska Walczak, and Chris Manson who I believe was the mastermind behind the event.
Lower left: Steve Heibert, Mrs. Nelson, and Chapter President Mike Denker, clearly showing the impact of sub-10 degree weather that greeted the morning drive.
Mike Anderson, Greg Robison, and guest-of-honor Roland Hoover looking as spry as ever.
Ray Nichols presents a card printed by Lead Graffiti (the image is at the top of this page) and signed by the group. Jim Wilder also letterpress printed a card signed by the group to commemorate the occasion. Apologies to Jim for not taking a photo of his card.
Francheska Walczak, Pat Manson, Chris Manson, Stuart Bradley, and Jill Cypher.
Roland with his stack of presents
Afteward the group gathered at the front of the restaurant for a group photo with another card printed by Lead Graffiti on their newly constructed 8' letterpress.
Many of the group regathered at the home of Chris & Pat Manson.
Six of us ventured over to Roland's house to take a look at Pembrooke Press.
You could pull open case after case to find the most wonderful metal and wood type, dingbats, tail pieces and the like.
Roland and Tray Nichols discuss some technical details.
Stan Nelson telling a story that seemed to require some double-back English to get the story just right.
Val Lucas, Roland, & Ray Nichols share some stories.
Stan Nelson with Roland and his Hoe iron handpress.
Greg Robison, Roland, Val Lucas, and Stan Nelson.
Greg Robison right tells the group about his newly acquired letterpress collection.
We could have listened to Roland's story all afternoon, but after about two hours we all headed out to tackle Washington, DC's Friday afternoon rush-hour traffic.
