|
|
|
Thomas Bird Mosher
Thomas Bird Mosher (1852-1923) of Portland, Maine was an important figure in the revival of printing that began in the late nineteenth century. Between 1891 when he published his first book and his death in 1923, Mosher published over 700 books and 240 monthly issues of his literary magazine, The Bibelot. He borrowed various elements of contemporary design and gave them his own interpretation in print. Mosher's publications reflected aspects of the Arts and Crafts, Pre-Raphaelite, Aesthetic, and Art Nouveau movements. His liberal interpretation of nascent copyright laws earned him the reputation of "literary pirate" but many of the authors he published were quite pleased with the books. Mosher's greatest contribution, perhaps, is that he introduced American audiences to lesser-known European authors and literature when such works were largely unavailable to most readers. Mosher also helped to create an awareness in the United States of the revival of printing and he championed the idea that works of literature could have a beautiful appearance and be made available at affordable prices.
The Mosher publications on exhibit represent a selection of the Mosher books housed in the Gleeson Library's Donohue Rare Book Room. Over sixty-five books are on display, in addition to catalogs, printed ephemera, letters, and early manuscripts. The books in the cases are arranged in a chronological fashion, to provide a sense of the design and development of Mosher's publications over time. Examples of the various series are shown, and Hatch and Bishop numbers are provided for further reference.
|
|
|
Previous
font 
