The Aries Press of Eden, New York
by Richard Kegler
The digital version of Frederic Goudy’s Aries typeface, was released by P22 Type Foundry in 2003—and the result of Richard Kegler’s ongoing research into the history of this type and the Aries Press are collected into this book. Co-published by RIT Press, The Aries Press of Eden New York tells the story of a curious chapter in a long history of printing and independent publishing. There are many connections to renowned figures in the art, printing, and typographic worlds of the 1920s. The book is a complete bibliography and brief history of Aries Press.
Spencer Kellogg Jr., a businessman and book designer, founded the Aries Press in Eden, N.Y., during the 1920s with a vision to produce high-quality book designs. Kellogg hired talented workers with a passion for printing, including a craftsman connected to the nearby Roycroft campus. He also commissioned type designer Frederic Goudy to create a typeface for Aries Press. While the press was only open for four years, it produced many fine standard-setting examples of printing.
In 1926, the first book printed at the Aries Press, The Ghost Ship, by Richard Middleton, was named one of the 50 best-designed books by the American Institute of Graphic Arts. To uphold the high-quality printing values of a private press, no more than 300 copies of a book were printed.
The Aries Press was also known for its connections to William Morris, Rockwell Kent and Bruce Rogers. Kellogg purchased his printing press from Frederic Goudy. It was later known as the Kelmscott/Goudy Albion Press and was acquired by the Cary Graphic Arts Collection in 2013.
Printers, print historians and typographers will enjoy the Aries Press story as will anyone with an interest in Western New York history. The colorful examples highlighted in Kegler’s book provide inspiration for today’s contemporary designers.
This book was nominated for a bibliographic prize and is now offered in 3 formats: Deluxe, Regular, and for the intrepid book binder, Unbound press signatures.
Deluxe edition:
- A collaboration between P22 Type Foundry, RIT Press, and Wells College Press
- Additional letterpress printed pages, including a frontispiece printed on the Kelmscott-Goudy Albion Press at Rochester Institute of Technology
- A specimen of Dard Hunter’s Roycroft alphabet printed from wood type
- Re-strikes from original Aries Press blocks
- An original leaf from The Ghost Ship printed at the Aries Press
- Hardback case binding in Japanese Marine Blue cloth
- Tipped-on spine label
- Custom marbled endpapers by Stephen Pittelkow
- Hand bound by Richard Kegler at Wells College Press
- Signed and numbered edition of 50
Regular Edition:
- Hardback case binding in Blue cloth
- Gold foil-stamped Aries printers mark on cover
- Edition of 500
- Published by by RIT Press
Unbound Edition:
- Unbound signatures for custom or practice hand binding
- 3 signatures (88 pages)
- Limited while supplies last