278:
exquisite and executed with impeccable taste. He was a genius at the arrangement of type, ornaments, and wood engravings. Every piece he produced was a small gem, for Fass had the time, skill, and materials to print everything by hand patiently and perfectly," according to collector Aveve Cohen. Despite Fass' modesty about his YMCA printing projects, his friends were determined to showcase Fass' exceptional printing work to the rest of New York. Friends of John Fass created several exhibits in New York during this era. John Archer organized an exhibition of Hell-Box Press and Hammer Creek Press imprints in 1953 for the New York Public
Library. In 1962 Herman Cohen helped create an exhibition of Fass' work at New York's Grolier Club, the oldest American society of bibliophiles and book collectors. This was followed by an exhibition at the
217:
262:
Fass printed books, leaflets, broadsides, bookplates and other small works of letterpress art. He created these works for his own pleasure, and as gifts for his friends. He printed these projects with a tabletop Albion press, made in 1905. Fass received the press from his close friend the illustrator
107:
In 1925 Fass left the Rudge shop to create his own printing house with a Rudge co-worker, Roland Wood and wife
Elizabeth Wood. That same year they founded the Harbor Press in a small shop in midtown Manhattan. The press specialized in creating fine-edition books, with Fass focusing on the design, and
238:
Fass created his first YMCA printing projects using the imprint name Hell-Box Press, named for a print shop hellbox, in which printers threw used metal type for recasting. Fass' hobby was woodworking, so he created miniature wooden printing presses for his Hell-Box printing endeavors. Throughout the
208:
John Fass and Roland Wood closed the Harbor Press in 1939. Wood pursued a career in acting, while John Fass continued his career as a book designer for leading
American publishers, and a graphic designer for New York advertising companies, where he specialized in designing advertising typography. He
298:
The leading institutions which have collected Fass' books and other printed works include: The New York Public
Library, The Rochester Institute of Technology, Amherst College, Columbia University (via the Albert Ulmann Fund), University of California, University of Texas, University of Kansas, etc.
277:
In 1959 and 1960 Fass also printed collections of leaf prints, printing directly from the leaves onto
Japanese tissue. "Fass was essentially a private printer, working alone at his own pace. What he did was done for his own pleasure. But his work, small in size and issued in minuscule editions, was
229:
For many years John Fass lived in a single-room apartment at the Bronx YMCA. In this room Fass created his most iconic works: small editions printed on small handpresses. Fass was as clean and precise with his YMCA room decor as he was with his book design. Herman Cohen, owner of the
Chiswick Book
58:
Although Fass' career kept him in New York City for more than 40 years, he frequently returned to his quiet hometown of Lititz. Fass never married, and maintained close ties with his relatives in
Lancaster County, where he returned in old age to live with his sister Esther Wert in Lititz.
116:, the publisher of the Limited Editions Club, soon noticed Fass' talents. From 1925 into the 1940s, John designed most of the books published by John Macy. In addition, the Harbor Press designed and printed works for New York's most influential bibliophiles: the members of the
294:
in
Brooklyn. He sold his tabletop printing press back to Valenti Angelo. As Fass' health deteriorated he decided to return to his hometown of Lititz, Pennsylvania, where he lived with his sister Esther Wert. He died in 1973, and is buried in the Lititz Moravian Cemetery.
319:
John Fass was an avid photographer throughout his lifetime. His photographs were not commercially published or exhibited, but were for his own pleasure. His earliest-known photographs are dated 1914, and document Fass' early life in his hometown of Lititz, Pennsylvania.
230:
Shop, collected Fass' work and wrote Fass' bibliography. Cohen described Fass' room as the most immaculate room he had ever seen, despite the room being filled with printing and photography equipment. (Fass stored his cases of printing press type under his bed.)
66:
After serving in the U. S. Army, Fass moved to
Philadelphia in 1918 to work as a compositor for the Holmes Press. Two years later Fass moved to New York City to work as a compositor for David Gildea & Company which specialized in advertising design and
38:
in his one-room apartment at the Bronx YMCA. Fass' books and his photography celebrate his life in New York City, where he lived most of his career. His work also documents his passion for the rural landscapes of his native
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
55:. His father, David C. Fass, was a cigar maker and a laborer. John's mother, Sara C. Fass, supplemented the family income as a dressmaker. The family had deep roots in rural Lancaster County; Fass' family included Moravian and Mennonite ancestry.
254:
In the 1950s and early 1960s, while working for Manhattan advertising agencies, John Fass created immaculate masterworks of letterpress printing in his cramped room at the Bronx YMCA. He named his press The Hammer Creek Press, named for the
62:
Fass began his career in the printing trade as a 12-year-old, working summers as an errand boy for a Lititz newspaper's print shop. After graduating from high school, he continued his work at the Lititz print shop, working as a typesetter.
111:
The Harbor Press quickly established a reputation for producing beautifully crafted books. Fass and Wood produced limited editions of works by leading American writers such as Robert Frost and William Faulkner, signed by the writers.
342:
Fass presented a collection of his photography to the New York Public Library, where today some of his photographs are exhibited online in the library's digital collection. Most of Fass' photography remains in private collections.
20:
531:
323:
Throughout the 1940s to the 1960s Fass created precisionisist photographic images of New York City and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He created works that were as finely crafted and immaculately composed as his printing.
303:
86:
magazine article. Rogers' modernist-yet-classical design sensibility greatly influenced Fass' own sense of style. Fass' style became characterized by clean, precisionist design accented with finely crafted ornament.
34:
books. Fass designed books for the leading American publishers of limited edition books. Collectors of private press books also remember John Fass for the handcrafted books he printed on a tabletop
91:
205:
explained that John Fass and his Harbor Press created books with "...a flavor of good breeding and tradition...which is pleasantly mixed with a sense of humor and intimacy."
536:
242:
Some of Fass' Hellbox imprints were custom bound in fine leather by another YMCA resident, John Archer, who was supervisor of the print shop and book bindery at the
239:
1920s and 1930 Fass used his miniature, 14-inch-high presses to create booklets, bookplates, Christmas cards, and ephemera. He inked the letters with his fingertip.
78:
at Mount Vernon, New York. The town is located in West Chester County, on the border of the Bronx. While employed by William Rudge, John worked alongside
270:
Fass' printer's device for the Hammer Creek Press was the turtle, which became his symbol of slowly crafted art, and excellence of design. Fass' friend
339:, who were Fass' contemporaries. Demuth and Fass were both from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where Fass was born seven years after Demuth's birth.
213:, one of Manhattan's largest advertising companies. Fass continued working in New York advertising and publishing for the rest of his career.
576:
591:
586:
327:
Much of Fass' modernist New York photography of the 1940s and 1950s reveals Fass' contributions to the artistic movement known as
98:
printed on his tabletop press at the Bronx YMCA, with his Hammer Creek Press imprint. Photograph by John Fass. Private Collection.
306:
Photograph by John S. Fass. New York City in the early 1940s. Many of Fass' 1940s New York photographs reflect the themes of the
596:
434:
526:
465:
23:
John Fass in his one-room apartment at the Bronx YMCA. He also used this room as a printing and photography studio.
581:
52:
79:
243:
220:
Books created by John Fass in the 1950s in his apartment at the Bronx YMCA. Private Collection.
551:
307:
571:
566:
439:
271:
8:
75:
492:
Ettenberg, Eugene M. (April, 1957). "The Private Press of John Fass." "American Artist".
461:
30:(August 25, 1890 - July 19, 1973) was an American graphic designer and a printer of
291:
336:
485:
Schimmel, Caroline F. (November 1978). "The Man who Printed Books at the YMCA."
460:
Melbert B. Cary, Jr. Graphic Arts Collection, Rochester Institute of Technology
332:
264:
35:
521:
302:
560:
546:
328:
279:
256:
117:
552:
John Fass Items in the John DePol Collection at the University of Delaware
19:
542:
John Fass and Roland Wood's Harbor Press Books at Amherst College Library
113:
74:
From 1923 to 1925 Fass worked for the printing and publishing house of
68:
31:
267:, who had received the press from Fass' former coworker Bruce Rogers.
82:, who was "the greatest modern book designer" according to a 1939
541:
216:
290:
In 1962 John Fass moved from his room in the Bronx YMCA to the
90:
48:
532:
John Fass' Hammer Creek Press Books at New York Public Library
516:
274:
illustrated various works of this press with wood engravings.
146:(1930) By F. De La Motte Fouqué for the Limited Editions Club.
502:
VanBrookhoven, Charlene. 2008. "John S. Fass, Typographers."
121:
537:
John Fass' Printed Works at the University of San Francisco
259:
which flows near his boyhood home in Lititz, Pennsylvania.
522:
The Black Art: History of Printing in Lancaster County, PA
331:. This art movement was pioneered by Pennsylvania artists
191:
by Herman Melville (1935) For the Limited Editions Club.
517:
John Fass: A Pennsylvania Dutch Artist in New York City
547:
An Exhibition of John Fass' Letterpress Art on Flickr
504:
The Lititz Historical Foundation's Historical Journal
499:
Whitney Museum of American Art. Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
210:
197:(1937) By Oscar Wilde for the Limited Editions Club.
527:
Photography by John Fass at New York Public Library
134:(1928) For the American Institute of Graphic Arts.
314:
170:(1932) By Apuleius for the Limited Editions Club.
558:
162:A Bibliography of the Works of Ernest Hemingway
152:(1930) By Thomas Hood for the Derrydale Press.
456:Burke, Jackson; Ettenberg, Eugene M. (1998).
224:
127:Books printed at Fass' Harbor Press include:
285:
179:Hunting Sketches (1933) By Anthony Trollope.
158:(1931) By William Faulkner for Random House.
471:"Books: Tramp Printer" (April 3, 1939).
458:John S. Fass and the Hammer Creek Press.
301:
215:
108:Roland Wood usually doing the printing.
89:
18:
559:
132:Extracts from the Diary of Roger Payne
249:
96:The Alphabet in Various Arrangements.
51:, Pennsylvania, a borough located in
16:American graphic designer and printer
478:Dr. Lehmann-Haupt, Hellmut. (1951).
577:20th-century American photographers
13:
14:
608:
592:20th-century American printmakers
510:
233:
201:Dr Hellmut Lehmann-Haupt, in his
94:A page from John Fass' 1958 book
587:People from Lititz, Pennsylvania
102:
427:
418:
409:
400:
391:
382:
370:
361:
352:
315:Fass' Precisionist Photography
1:
597:Private press movement people
450:
435:"Images related to John Fass"
42:
473:Time the Weekly Newsmagazine
185:(1933) For the Grolier Club.
176:(1933) By Washington Irving.
7:
164:(1931) By Louis Henry Cohn.
10:
613:
495:Haskell, Barbara. (1987).
225:Printing at the Bronx YMCA
195:The Ballad of Reading Gaol
388:Lehmann-Haupt 1951, p.280
286:Life after the Bronx YMCA
138:A Way Out: A One Act Play
47:John S. Fass was born in
487:Columbia Library Columns
346:
367:VanBrookhoven 2008, p.1
244:New York Public Library
183:The Study of Incunabula
140:(1929) By Robert Frost.
311:
221:
209:was a typographer for
99:
24:
582:American bibliophiles
310:. Private Collection.
305:
219:
93:
22:
480:The Book in America.
440:NYPL Digital Gallery
424:Haskell 1987. p. 134
415:Burke 1998, Foreword
406:Ettenberg 1957, p.43
308:Precisonist Movement
156:Idyll in the Desert
120:and members of the
76:William Edwin Rudge
397:Schimmel 1978, p.9
312:
250:Hammer Creek Press
222:
100:
25:
211:Young and Rubicam
28:John Stroble Fass
604:
445:
444:
431:
425:
422:
416:
413:
407:
404:
398:
395:
389:
386:
380:
374:
368:
365:
359:
358:Burke 1998, p.13
356:
292:Hotel Pierrepont
53:Lancaster County
612:
611:
607:
606:
605:
603:
602:
601:
557:
556:
513:
497:Charles Demuth.
453:
448:
433:
432:
428:
423:
419:
414:
410:
405:
401:
396:
392:
387:
383:
375:
371:
366:
362:
357:
353:
349:
337:Charles Sheeler
317:
288:
252:
236:
227:
203:Book in America
150:The Epping Hunt
105:
45:
17:
12:
11:
5:
610:
600:
599:
594:
589:
584:
579:
574:
569:
555:
554:
549:
544:
539:
534:
529:
524:
519:
512:
511:External links
509:
508:
507:
500:
493:
490:
483:
476:
469:
452:
449:
447:
446:
426:
417:
408:
399:
390:
381:
369:
360:
350:
348:
345:
333:Charles Demuth
316:
313:
287:
284:
265:Valenti Angelo
251:
248:
235:
234:Hell-Box Press
232:
226:
223:
199:
198:
192:
186:
180:
177:
171:
168:The Golden Ass
165:
159:
153:
147:
141:
135:
104:
101:
44:
41:
36:printing press
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
609:
598:
595:
593:
590:
588:
585:
583:
580:
578:
575:
573:
570:
568:
565:
564:
562:
553:
550:
548:
545:
543:
540:
538:
535:
533:
530:
528:
525:
523:
520:
518:
515:
514:
505:
501:
498:
494:
491:
488:
484:
482:R. R. Bowker.
481:
477:
474:
470:
467:
466:1-56792-086-1
463:
459:
455:
454:
442:
441:
436:
430:
421:
412:
403:
394:
385:
378:
373:
364:
355:
351:
344:
340:
338:
334:
330:
325:
321:
309:
304:
300:
296:
293:
283:
281:
275:
273:
268:
266:
260:
258:
247:
245:
240:
231:
218:
214:
212:
206:
204:
196:
193:
190:
187:
184:
181:
178:
175:
172:
169:
166:
163:
160:
157:
154:
151:
148:
145:
142:
139:
136:
133:
130:
129:
128:
125:
123:
119:
115:
109:
97:
92:
88:
85:
81:
77:
72:
70:
64:
60:
56:
54:
50:
40:
37:
33:
29:
21:
503:
496:
486:
479:
472:
457:
438:
429:
420:
411:
402:
393:
384:
376:
372:
363:
354:
341:
329:Precisionism
326:
322:
318:
297:
289:
280:Cooper Union
276:
269:
261:
257:Hammer Creek
253:
241:
237:
228:
207:
202:
200:
194:
188:
182:
173:
167:
161:
155:
149:
143:
137:
131:
126:
118:Grolier Club
110:
106:
103:Harbor Press
95:
83:
80:Bruce Rogers
73:
65:
61:
57:
46:
27:
26:
572:1973 deaths
567:1890 births
114:George Macy
561:Categories
451:References
379:1939, p.67
272:John DePol
174:The Angler
122:Typophiles
69:typography
43:Early life
32:fine press
464:
144:Undine
49:Lititz
347:Notes
189:Typee
462:ISBN
377:Time
335:and
84:Time
563::
437:.
282:.
246:.
124:.
71:.
506:.
489:.
475:.
468:.
443:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
