The Stratford Press of

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

was the

private press Private press publishing, with respect to books, is an endeavor performed by craft-based expert or aspiring artisans, either amateur or professional, who, among other things, print and build books, typically by hand, with emphasis on Book design ...

of Elmer Frank Gleason (1882–1965), who hand-crafted non-commercial books for libraries, literary clubs, academic institutions, philanthropists, artists, collectors, patrons, and friends.

History

The Stratford Press, for commercial purposes, was founded in 1913 in Worcester, Massachusetts, by Thomas F. Johnson (born 1880) and Elmer Frank Gleason for the purpose of producing "high-grade commercial and society printing." Gleason filed for bankruptcy in 1914. After the failed commercial attempt in Worcester, Massachusetts, Worcester, Gleason began building books, privately in Cincinnati under the name, Stratford Press, around 1920, as a hobby – during the arts and Crafts movement, and in particular, the private press movement throughout United Kingdom, Britain, Europe, and America. Gleason – lauded as a talented artisan in the craft of book building and design – printed and bound his books by hand. Some of his works have flourished in literary, art, and history circles, not only for design and construction, but also for substantive content. An exemplary specimen of his work is found in a booklet, ''Clara Chipman Newton: a memorial tribute,'' released November 1, 1938, in Cincinnati.

Selected acclaim

James Lamar Weygand, in 1965, authored and published a critical-biographical essay and a bibliography, ''Elmer F. Gleason and the Stratford Press: A History & Bibliography,'' wherein he asserted that the Stratford Press "was one of the most significant private presses of the Midwestern United States." He pointed out that, in nearly a half-century of creative activity, Gleason contributed substantially to typographical standards both in the Ohio Valley and in the nation.

Selected works

* ''Clara Chipman Newton: A Memorial Tribute'' (small booklet; limited edition, privately distributed)

Compiling committee: Florence Murdoch ''(maiden;'' 1887–1977) (chairman); Eunice Resor ''(née'' Eunice Swift Thoms; 1871–1960); Susan Galbraith ''(née'' Susan Clark Neff; 1877–1970); Emma Mendenhall (1873–1964); Elizabeth Kellogg ''(née'' Elizabeth Rockey Kellogg; 1870–1967)

The booklet was hand designed, printed, and bound by the Stratford Press (the private press of Elmer Frank Gleason; 1882–1965; at his home in

); co-publishers: (i) Cincinnati Woman's Club, (ii) The Loring Andrews Company, (iii) The Stratford Press; released November 1, 1938;

Elmer Frank Gleason

Elmer Frank Gleason, professionally in

, was head of layout and design for the McDonald Printing Company.

The name, Stratford (disambiguation)

Stratford-upon-Avon is the hometown of Shakespeare. Stratford is also a metropolitan district in the London Borough of Newham in Greater London. The name "Stratford" is contained in several book-literature company oriented names, including (i) The Stratford Press Company of Cleveland, founded in 1911 by William Joseph Raddatz (1880–1940), dissolved in 1925, and (ii) The Stratford Company, Publishers, Boston, founded around 1915, which published ''The Stratford Journal'' ("an international magazine") (Vol. 1, No. 1, Autumn 1916, to Vol. 6, No. 1, January-March 1920), and (iii) the American Book-Stratford Press, Inc., founded by Louis Satenstein (1882–1964) in New York City as the American Book Bindery Company.

References

{{Reflist, 30em, refs= "Fine Printing is Cincinnatian's Hobby; 'The Ideal Book' Is His Ultimate Goal," ''Cincinnati Enquirer,'' May 10, 1940 (accessible ''via'' Newspapers.com at {{URL, https://www.newspapers.com/image/103447524, {{subscription) "In Memorandum: Mrs. Clara Chipman Newton," ''Cincinnati Enquirer,'' November 5, 1938, p. 7 (accessible ''via'' Newspapers.com at {{URL, https://www.newspapers.com/image/99887188, {{subscription) ''Clara Chipman Newton: A Memorial Tribute'' (re: Clara Chipman Newton)

Compiling committee:

Florence Murdoch ''(maiden;'' 1887–1977) (chairman); Eunice Resor ''(née'' Eunice Swift Thoms; 1871–1960); Susan Galbraith ''(née'' Susan Clark Neff; 1877–1970); Emma Mendenhall (1873–1964); Elizabeth Kellogg ''(née'' Elizabeth Rockey Kellogg; 1870–1967)

Hand designed, printed, and bound by the Stratford Press (the private press of Elmer Frank Gleason; 1882–1965); co-publishers: (i) Cincinnati Woman's Club, (ii) The Loring Andrews Company, (iii) The Stratford Press; released November 1, 1938; {{OCLC, 2728836 ''Lexikon des Gesamten Buchwesens'' (online) ''(Encyclopedia of the Entire Book Trade),'' Leiden, Netherlands: Brill Publishers (2008, 2014); {{OCLC, 7050727994; {{ISBN, 9783777214122 ''Elmer F. Gleason and The Stratford Press: A History & Bibliography,'' by James Lamar Weygand, Private Press of the Indiana Kid (1965); {{OCLC, 2183805 ''Briefer Mention'' (the papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, published by the University of Chicago Press), Vol. 60, No. 1, First Quarter 1966, p. 128 (book review: ''Elmer F. Gleason and the Stratford Press;'' 1965); {{ISSN, 0006-128X, {{jstor, 24300920 American printers American typographers and type designers American graphic designers Small press publishing companies Book publishing companies of the United States History of Cincinnati Arts and Crafts movement Publishing companies established in 1920 Defunct publishing companies of the United States 1920 establishments in Ohio Private press movement American companies established in 1920