November 29 marks the 140th birthday of Dard Hunter (1883-1966), born William Joseph Hunter. Sometimes referred to as the father of hand papermaking, Hunter is known for his extensive worldwide travel documenting the hand papermaking tradition in Asia, his publications about historical papermaking, and his active work as a printer and papermaker.
But before he turned his interest to hand papermaking, early in his career Hunter worked and lived as a Roycrofter. Located in the community of East Aurora, New York (not far from Buffalo), the Roycrofters worked within the traditions of the Arts and Crafts Movement, which had its origins in England during the 1880s, and developed as a reaction to changes brought about with the industrial age and mechanization. American writer and publisher Elbert Hubbard founded the community in 1895 and the enterprise produced furniture, textiles, ceramics, leather and metal goods, in addition to the products of the print shop, including books and several periodicals. The community eventually went bankrupt in the 1930s.
Dard Hunter worked in the East Aurora community from about 1904 to 1910 and although he started in furniture making, he also worked in iron, copper, pottery, stained glass, and book design. Many publications from the Roycroft Print Shop are among the holdings of the American Heritage Center’s Toppan Rare Books Library and were donated primarily by William Fitzhugh, a physician and rare book collector.
The Roycroft Print Shop created decorative books and made them available to the American public, implementing a comprehensive production and marketing strategy that allowed publication of a single title in various grades of paper, binding, and design that was suited to the means and desires of the consumer. From finely crafted, illuminated limited editions to mass-produced books, the American people were exposed to affordable Roycroft book decoration and craftsmanship. Hunter’s graphic design work for the Roycroft Print Shop was therefore also made available to many categories of consumers.
One of Hunter’s early Roycroft designs was for Washington Irving’s Rip Van Winkle (1905), and one of his last designs included advertising postcards for the Roycroft Inn. He designed title pages, plus coordinated elements such as borders, roses, and initial letters used in various combinations within a publication. His designs could be specific to the subject of a particular book or be more generalized designs used for books or other periodicals produced by the Roycroft Print Shop.
His “DH” initials are seen on many of his designs, and his stylized rose design (in orange) became affiliated with Roycroft publications. Hunter’s use of line drawings, stylized botanicals, rectangular borders, and the colors black and orange, sometimes with green, are typical of many of his works.
Publications of the Roycroft Print Shop, including many samples of Dard Hunter’s graphic arts designs, can be studied at the Toppan Rare Books Library. Please contact etoppan@uwyo.edu to set up a viewing appointment on weekdays 9am-4pm.
Post contributed by Ginny Kilander, Supervisor of the American Heritage Center Reference Services Dept. Ginny is also an artist whose interests include papermaking, marbling, and the books arts.
