The Needle is an odd name for a periodical on the printing arts, but the publishers evidently had a really good point to make, as their subtitle suggests. This monthly print journal began as an advertising medium for Young & McCallister, one of the largest print and advertising firms in Los Angeles in the early 20th century. The Needle's first issue was published 100 years ago, in April, 1914 and continued its run for another 12 years. This nearly complete set of 15 bound leather volumes of The Needle once belonged to the editor and publisher, Bruce McCallister and just sold at auction. The journal was heavily illustrated and included typographic examples, pochoir and stencil colored plates, and tipped-in samples of their fine press work.
Bruce McCallister (1881-1945) was a letterpress tramp printer who came out to California from South Dakota to find work. He arrived in San Francisco in 1906 on the day of the Great San Francisco Earthquake, and soon after made his way to Los Angeles where he found work at Senegram Printers. In 1912, he formed a partnership with letterpress printer, Frederick Young who emigrated to the states from England. Their timing dovetailed nicely with the Los Angeles real estate boom and by 1919, they dominated the advertising field with many colorfully printed promotional materials. McCallister was a fine pressman, salesman and innovator. He launched an in-house bindery and a separate screen printing department to meet the demands for colorful sign and poster printing.
Image via sign industry
In 1927 McCallister hired a young typographer and book designer, Grant Dahlstrom and pursued the printing of fine press books. Their first book together, The History of Warner's Ranch and Its Environs was chosen as one of AIGAs 50 best-designed books of 1927. A second AIGA award was received for the design and printing of California Hills and Other Wood Engravings by Paul Landacre in 1931.
Although Young & McCallister achieved great success in the printing field, they did not survive the Depression. In later years, Bruce McCallister continued to find success in the printing of books for The Huntington Library, Los Angeles bookman Jake Zeitlin, and his friend, Grant Dahlstrom who went on to acquire The Castle Press in Pasadena. Through his associations and mentoring of young printers such as Dahlstrom and Ward Ritchie, he set the stage for Los Angeles to become the West Coast center of fine press printing and publishing for a good part of the 20th century.
Happy Day of Thanks! This goes out to all who enjoy good books, good food and good company...not necessarily in that order. This sweet book is a reminder of all that I am grateful for: all of the above! Hearty Fare, by Bunston Quayles—pen name of the late, great Los Angeles artist, Vance Gerry (1929-2005)—was letterpress-printed in an edition of 150 copies on Rives paper in 1991. It is a small, chapbook of comfort food recipes "intended to be a reminder to gentlemen of dishes once relished but perhaps temporarily forgotten," according to Gerry. The quantities of ingredients are left up to the cook, and he only intends for the recipes to be inspirational reminders of hearty fare. This book is a treasure—even if it was printed for the "gentlemen"—and it is spiced with Gerry's own elegant woodcuts. It was a gift from my dear husband and friends for one of those pesky "round-numbered" birthdays I celebrated earlier this month, and it totally blew me over. For this I am forever grateful!
Vance Gerry continues to be an inspiration to me. He was a master of porchoir illustration and was one of those towering talents who was always creating; always doing something new. At the age of thirteen, he learned to set type in the tradition of fine press publishers while working at Grant Dahlstrom's Castle Press in Pasadena. After attending Art Center and the Chouinard Art Institute on the GI Bill, he went to work as an artist in the Disney Studios in Burbank, where he spent his entire career working on such films as The Jungle Book, The Aristocats, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Tarzan, The Rescuers, Robin Hood and Fantasia/2000. In his spare time, he wrote and printed many private press books for his own Weather Bird Press—often under the assumed name of "Bunny Quayles" or "Bunston Quayles."
I never had the pleasure to meet Vance Gerry when I was living in Los Angeles in the mid-80s, however I did follow close on his trail. In those days in LA, the used and antiquarian bookstore association published an annual two-color brochure and map which was beautifully letterpress-printed by Patrick Reagh. The covers were always handsomely illustrated by Vance, and I would never miss an opportunity to pick up a copy (which was far more meaningful than the Map of Stars' Homes.) At the time, I was unaware it was Gerry's work, but I always saved them. The stories I've heard from friends who knew Vance well, tell of his sense of style, his incomparable talent, prolific output, and his very quick wit. Friend, Bonnie tells me, "When asked at one time if he had any children he replied, 'No, but I was one once.'" This goes far to explain why he was also a big collector of childrens' toys.
To learn more about Vance Gerry and his work, there is a brief, but nice biography written by Adela Roatcap on the Fine Press Book Association site for which I am also grateful. May you all have a Happy Day of Thanks today and enjoy some hearty fare!
