Paul Bennett: Papers relating to Frederic Warde, 1921-1966

 

RLIN ID No.

NYGG02-A0

 

Main Entry

Bennett, Paul, 1897-1966, collector.

 

Title

Papers relating to Frederic Warde, 1921-1966.

 

Physical Description

2 boxes (.8 linear ft.)

 

Historical/Biographical Note

After his retirement from the Merganthaler Linotype Corporation, Paul Bennett was retained by the Grolier Club (a New York bibliophile society) to gather information about typographer and book designer Frederic Warde (1894-1939) for a bibliography, biography and exhibit. Bennett was able to interview a number of people who had known Warde and to obtain photocopies of major collections of Warde and Warde-related letters in the Huntington Library, Newberry Library, and the Library of Congress as well as items from Helmut Ripperger, the Chiswick Bookshop, and the Pierpont Morgan Library. Additionally, he examined the collection of Sherman P. and Anne Haight, who had been close personal friends of Warde’s, and the files of the Limited Editions Club, where Warde had served as typographical adviser and designer.

 

Scope and Contents Note

Interviews conducted by Paul Bennett between 1963 and 1966 relating to Frederic Wade. Interviewees include: Robert Dothard, Ralph Duenewald, Anne Lyon Haight, Sherman P. Haight, James Hendrickson, Melvin Loos, Stanley Morison, Henry Z. Walck, and Beatrice Warde. There are notes from his visits to the Will Ransom Collection at the Newberry Library, the Library of Congress, and the Henry E. Huntington Library. Also photocopies of correspondence in the Will Ransom collection at the Newberry Library with Crosby Gaige, P. J. Conkwright, Alfred C. Howell, Henry Watson Kent, William A. Kittredge, Will Ransom, and Rudolph Ruzicka; copies of letters in the Library of Congress from Warde to Thomas Maitland Cleland; correspondence with Paul Tomlinson, manager of the Princeton University Press; and copies of letters from Beatrice Warde at the Huntington Library. The collection also includes Bennett’s notes on Warde material at the offices of the Limited Editions Club and in the collection of Sherman P. and Anne Lyon Haight, as well as general correspondence and notes relating to the Warde project, including his relations with the Grolier Club.  

 

Reproduction Note

From the Newberry Library, Chicago, Ill.: material from Will Ransom Collection. From Library of Congress (Manuscripts Division), Washington, D.C.: Frederic Warde letters to T. M. Cleland. From Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery, San Marino, Calif.: Beatrice Warde letters to D. B. Updike. Photocopies made 1964-1966.

 

Names

Bennett, Paul, 1897-1966.

Cleland, Thomas Maitland, 1880-1964. Correspondence.

Cohen, Herman.

Conkwright, Paul J. (P. Jefferson). Correspondence.

Dothard, Robert, interviewee.

Duenewald, Ralph, interviewee.

Duenewald, Ralph. Correspondence.

Gaige, Crosby, 1882-1949. Correspondence.

Haight, Anne Lyon, interviewee.

Haight, Sherman P., interviewee.

Hendrickson, James, interviewee.

Howell, Alfred C. Correspondence.

Kent, Henry Watson, 1866-1948. Correspondence.

Kittredge, William Albion, 1891-1945. Correspondence.

Loos, Melvin, b. 1897, interviewee.

Macy, George, 1900-1956.

Macy, Helen.

Morison, Stanley, 1889-1967, interviewee.

Ransom, Will, 1875-1955.

Ripperger, H. L. (Helmut Lothar), b. 1897. Correspondence.

Ruzicka, Rudolph, 1883- . Correspondence.

Tomlinson, Paul. Correspondence.

Walck, Henry Z., interviewee.

Warde, B. L. (Beatrice Lamberton), 1900-1969.

Warde, B. L. (Beatrice Lamberton), 1900-1969. Correspondence.

Warde, B. L. (Beatrice Lamberton), 1900-1969, interviewee.

Warde, Frederic, 1894-1939.

Grolier Club.

Limited Editions Club.

Stowaways (Organization).

 

Added Entries

Chiswick Book Shop.

Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery.

Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Newberry Library.

Pierpont Morgan Library.

 

Genres

Interviews. New York (State). New York. 20th century.

 

Occupation (as reflected in collection)

Printers. United States. 20th century.

Type designers. United States. 20th century.

 

Location

Grolier Club, 47 East  60th Street, New York, N. Y. 10022-1098.

 

 

Collection Inventory

 

 

Box 1

Correspondence Files

Paul Bennett with Library Committee of the Grolier Club relating to his work on the Warde

project. Includes: 1966-1972 correspondence discussing his retainer and expense accounts and PB’s report on progress of the work. A few letters relate to follow-up on the project in the years following his death in 1966.  (f. 1.1)

 

Frederic Warde to William Albion Kittredge of Lakeside Press, Chicago. ALS and TLS 1921 to 1933. FW

introduced himself to Kittredge in a letter of 22 July 1921 and met him several times over the years. Correspondence discussed mutual acquaintances (including Thomas Maitland Clelland), Warde’s work for William Edwin Rudge, activities of the Stowaways, a New York social club of persons in the graphic arts,  FW’s employment at the Princeton University Press, and his fiancée (later his wife) Beatrice Becker Warde. The letters from 1926 and 1927 describe in detail FW’s travel and design activities in Europe. [Photocopies from Will Ransom Collection at the Newberry Library (Chicago).]

f. 1.2      1921 July 22 to 1922 April  30.

f. 1.3      1926 March 6 to 1927 October 5.

f. 1.4      1927 Nov. 15 to 1933 Aug. 5.

 

Will Ransom, Frederic Warde: Book Designer.” Draft of article which appeared in Print and

correspondence about it (1928-1942) including suggestions by the managing editor. Include letter

from FW to Ransom  about his private press venture with Crosby Gaige. (f. 1.5)

 

William A. Kittredge and other to Will Ransom regarding his article about FW. 7 ALS and TLS 1941.

Correspondents include Kittredge, P. J. Conkwright, Crosby Gaige, Alfred C. Howell, Henry

Watson Kent, and Rudolph Ruzicka. [Photocopies from the Will Ransom Collection at the

Newberry Library (Chicago).] (f. 1.6)

 

Frederick Warde resume of his life and work. Holograph of FW but not signed. 2 sheets. [Photocopies

from Will Ransom collection at the Newberry Library (Chicago).]  (f.1.7)

 

Frederic Warde to Thomas Maitland Cleland. 7 ALS and TLS 1925 Aug. 24 to 1932 July 25. Discuss

FW’s work in London and Paris in the 1920s, his work with William Edwin Rudge, and his

editorship of the first issue of The Dolphin for the Limited Editions Club. [Photocopies from the

Manuscripts Division of the Library of Congress.] (f. 1.9)

 

Frederic Warde to Paul Tomlinson, manager of the Princeton University Press. ALS and TLS 1927-1930.

 

Beatrice Warde to Daniel Berkeley Updike of the Merrymount Press. 7 ALS and TLS 1924 Feb. 27 to

1940 Aug. 22. File also concerns a letter from an otherwise unidentified Mr. Bianchi dated 1924 Feb. 27. [Photocopies from collection at the Henry E. Huntington Library (San Marino, California).] (f. 1.10)

 

 

Box 2

Notes and Interviews by Paul Bennett

Grolier Club. 1963 April 23 to 1964 Jan. 29. Notes on material at Grolier Club (correspondence, obituaries,

etc.). File includes ALS from Rudolph Ruzicka to Paul Bennett and a lengthy article

               from the New York Times of 1963 Dec. 17 on homosexuality in New York City. (f. 2.1)

 

Newberry Library (Chicago). 1963 Oct. 10-12 and 1964 Oct. 6 and 8. File includes correspondence relating

to provision of photocopies, etc. and ALS from Beatrice Warde to PB  (1963 Dec. 31) and

Rudolph Ruzicka 1963 Aug. 26. (f.2.2)

 

Beatrice (Lamberton) Warde discussion with PB (New York City), 1965 June 4. Material covered includes

her meeting and marriage with FW; work credited to FW. (f.2.3)

 

Sherman P. and Anne Lyon Haight, 1964 March 14 to May 22 and 1965 July  21 to Dec. 29. Discussions

and notes on FW material then in their apartment at 820 Fifth Avenue. Material included

correspondence, FW genealogical material and service record in World War I, course material on  

his layouts and designs, and FW’s other interests (cooking, watches). (f. 2.4 and 2.5)

 

Stanley Morison, 1964 April 20, 1965 March 31, and 1966 Oct. 17 (all in New York City). File also

 includes TLS between PS and Kathryn and Gerhard Gerlach, binders in Vermont, and a few notes

from the Pierpont Morgan Library. (f. 2.6)

 

Notes from other sources: Robert Dothard  (Guilford Vermont), 1963 Nov. 20 to 22; Ella Oelrich (FW’s               secretary at Oxford University Press) 1965  Jan. 4 (telephone) and 1965  Feb. 18;  Melvin Loos 

1965 April 1 and 2; Ralph Duenewald  1965  April 29. Topics include FW’s years at Printing

House of William Edwin Rudge, and FW’s abilities as a designer. File also includes PB’s report

to Grolier Club on cost and other aspects of Warde project (1965  Feb. 18). (f.  2.7)

 

Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1966 Feb. 10 and 15; March 3; James Hendrickson at Architectural League

of New York, 1964 Sept. 2 and 1966 July 26, Aug. 4  and  Aug.. 14. (f.  2.8)

 

Grolier Club, Finance Committee. Notes on meeting with Alfred Howell. 1966 21 and Dec. 7. Notes that

three cartons of material from Sherman and Anne Lyon Haight (see f.2.4 and 2.5) carried to the

club by PB, Herbert Cahoon (of Pierpont Morgan Library), and Herman Cohen (Chiswick Book

Shop). PB did some arranging of material. This material appears to form basis of the Grolier Club

collection of the papers of Frederic Warde. (f.2.9)

 

Limited Editions Club (New York City). Notes from office files made 1964 to 1966 made over the course

of 25 visits. FW employed by LEC in 1930s.

                              1964 Jan. 19 to July 29 (f.2.10)

                              1964 Aug. 4 to 1966 Sept. 21 (f.2.11)

 

Chiswick Book Shop (Herman Cohen), 1964 July 1. Transcription of letter from Bruce Rogers to A. T.

Bartholomew (Cambridge University Library about FW letters from Europe 1926 March 31).

(f.2.12).

 

Henry Z. Walck (New York City), 1966 Aug. 31. Walck had been associated with the Oxford University

Press in 1939, FW’s last employer before his death. (f.2.13)

 

Helmut Ripperger. ALS to PB 1963 Aug. 7 enclosing ALS from FW (1935 Feb. 12) which PB copied for

his files and returned. (f. 2.14)

 

Miscellaneous material:

Obituary of FW (New York Herald Tribune  1939 Aug. 1)

Letters from Jocelyn D. Kuhn of Publisher’s Weekly to various institutions attempting to verify

elements in Warde’s biography.

Three prospectuses from printing ventures of the 1920s.

 “Rejuvenation of Printing” by FW in Publisher’s Weekly Dec. 15, 1923. (f.2.15)

 

FW Bibliography. Typescript. 20 leaves. File also includes “Frederic Warde” by unidentified writer and

“A Note on Frederic Warde” by George Macy, president of the Limited Editions Club. (f.2.16).

 

Ruari McLean to Grolier Club proposing he write monograph on FW as a centennial publication for the

club. 1982. (f.1.18)

 

PB correspondence with Herbert J. Sanborn of the Library of Congress regarding provision of photocopies. 

1963-1964. File also includes typed list of publications designed by FW for the Pierpont Morgan Library in the 1930s and some miscellaneous material. (f.2.18)