Semi-OT: Bruce Rogers’ Paragraphs on Printing

It’s impossible to dive into the Limited Editions Club history and selections without finding references to Bruce Rogers. He was a great influence to many in the book publishing world, including George Macy who often expounded on his achievements. Notably, Bruce Rogers was the designer of LEC’s Shakespeare and the accompanying two-volume Poems. A legend in his own time, Paragraphs on Printing was “Elicited from Bruce Rogers in talks with James Hendrickson on the functions of the Book Designer” and published by William E Rudge’s Sons in 1943.

Last year I was lucky enough to find this treasure in a second-hand bookshop in NF condition:


In another thread, laotzu225 said he had a copy of the book with the bookplates of a couple “distinguished bibliophiles” and I hope he can pop-in here and show us what he’s got. I can only hope to someday be referred to as same!

The copy I have has the bookplate of Julia Parker Wightman affixed inside next to a note stating that this is the “large-paper edition” that has some special features such as the cover being the same design as the one used for the LEC Shakespeare’s Poems, which I confirmed.



The next page is a sort of colophon, uniquely placed before the title page and probably missed by the bookshop since this book was not priced like a signed Bruce Rogers with a 199 limitation ($25):



Finally, there is a tipped-in copy of what appears to be a bookplate for BR himself:



The book is fascinating and appears to have been reprinted multiple times. I’d love to hear anyone else’s experience with it and stories about Bruce Rogers are always welcome.

Thank you for sharing. A lovely and I imagine interesting book. I apologize if this has already been referenced on this forum but "The Work of Bruce Rogers" might be of interest to you and others: https://archive.org/details/workofbruceroger00updi/page/n13/mode/2up?view=theate....

At one time, I had a copy of the Rudge trade edition and read it avidly. I eventually had to part with it along with a major portion of my collection of press books and books about books. I currently own a copy of the Dover paperback reprint. The book has been instrumental in informing my own typographical ideals. Rogers, along with others, continues to be a major influence on my typographical design efforts. It is without doubt, a book worth reading.

As with so many things, typographical design philosophy has continued to change over the years and modern ideas have often departed widely from BR's, and not, to my mind, always for the better.

This is a must read for anyone who has an interest in typography or wishes to learn something of what goes into designing a book.

You might also be interested in a slim volume about BR, a copy of which currently resides in my collection:

Warde, Frederick. BRUCE ROGERS DESIGNER OF BOOKS WITH A LIST OF THE BOOKS PRINTED UNDER MR. ROGERS'S SUPERVISION. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1925. It is readily available on the antiquarian market. Abebooks.com has several copies available. There is a limited edition as well.

>3 Glacierman: “ As with so many things, typographical design philosophy has continued to change over the years and modern ideas have often departed widely from BR's, and not, to my mind, always for the better.”

My takeaway from the various articles I’ve read by and about Bruce Rogers is that he was well-informed on the history of typography and book design. His ideas were often based on evaluating the history of solutions to book design problems and starting from there. I’m not adverse to new designs and modern designs as long as they add value, so to speak, to the goal of presenting the book in the best way possible. I’ve got lots of examples, both modern and otherwise, of design that is overdone or one that is too ascetic (is that a descriptive word that works?) ie: A short-story collection that doesn’t print the story title at the top of each page to quickly find what you are looking for without needing to go to the TOC.

Thanks both >3 Glacierman: and >2 AMindForeverVoyaging: for the recommendations.

>1 BionicJim: By the way, you scored big! Congratulations!

>4 BionicJim: "I’m not adverse to new designs and modern designs as long as they add value, so to speak, to the goal of presenting the book in the best way possible."

Your statement reminded me of something T. J. Cobden-Sanderson (bookbinder and proprietor of the Doves Press) said back in 1926: The whole duty of Typography, as of Calligraphy, is to communicate to the imagination, without loss by the way, the thought or image intended to be communicated by the Author.

People sometimes forget that.

>1 BionicJim: Jim, I hope my remarks in part inspired you to post this, which has already elicited some fine comments.
>2 AMindForeverVoyaging: Don't apologize for this link. There are so many posts and in GMD that there will be someone (like me) who didn't see it before or doesn't remember it!
As to Jim's invitation to post something from my distinctive copy (although one of the standard editions, but letterpress of course), obstacles are my laziness and lack of photographic skill. But as my namesake said, "With every breath change is possible".

I’ve been enjoying myself immensely reading this book and discovering what a perfectionist and artist Bruce Rogers was. Many of the books he created definitely can be considered works of art outside of the content itself. The many examples of perfectionism that are described here (ie: Using letters from different typefaces that fit together better in the context of the page - he literally uses two typefaces in the same word!) are so far beyond my own experience.

If I may indulge myself a bit more, one of the more interesting notes, “Mr. Rogers once said that the colophon for Perronik the Fool, with its two-inch high B R in red was the ‘most immodest imprint I’ve ever put on a book.’ He has fittingly atoned for it in the Oxford Lecturn Bible imprint; the B and the R are visible... but only to one who has been forewarned that they are there.”





Unfortunately, I don’t have a copy of the Oxford Lecturn Bible to get a good picture of the imprint in the colophon, but found this on the internet (interestingly purchased originally by Arthur E Andersen of the disgraced accounting firm). Anyone here help me out? Ha ha.

>8 BionicJim: I have Arthur E Andersen's 1942 LEC edition of Leaves of Grass. Absolutely immaculate condition.

>8 BionicJim: Likewise, I purchased the 1930 LEC Notre Dame de Paris from a bookseller that stated it was from the Andersen estate. It is limitation #548, so if yours is the same I can probably state the provenance definitively.

>8 BionicJim: Yes, who has a copy of the Oxford Lectern Bible?! I have a copy of "An Account of the Making of the Oxford Lectern Bible" that is quite nice. Printing supervised by B. R and in the Bible Centaur type. The closest I will get to owning the Lectern Bible :) The design considerations that went into making of the B. R. Bible are fascinating.

>11 BuzzBuzzard: " who has a copy of the Oxford Lectern Bible?"

I don't know who would other than churches, libraries, and, perhaps, scholarly institutions. Two books I have always wanted are a pristine copy of the Riverside Press Odyssey, designed by BR and the Oxford Lectern Bible. The former has either been very difficult to find in the desired condition or too expensive, and in 50 years of searching, I have never seen an Oxford Lectern Bible for sale--in any condition.

I have, in fact, given up on wanting the OLB, being very satisfied with the Limited Editions Club Holy Bible as well as their editions of individual books.

>12 Django6924: Were you ever able to open a copy of The Odyssey? Apparently, the ink used has a distinct, but pleasant aroma when you open the book. Bruce Rogers reportedly said you should be able to recognize a book in the dark, so this would be one way. I recently ran across a listing where the bookseller states the scent is still apparent.

>13 BionicJim:
Unfortunately, I've never owned a copy of this--either not good enough condition or too expensive.

By the way, I remember reading a recipe for printer's ink in the old, pre-synthetic era which is the time BR began his career; it required boiling in oil lampblack and several pounds of onions! I would think that could account for a certain definable odor.

I think Bruce's mark (BR) is to be found somewhere on one or more of the crowns in the Oxford logo, but it would take a higher quality image to be certain.

There's a book for sale on one of the popular websites - The Gospel According to Luke (Washington, D.C. Judd & Detweiler, 1930). The book was designed and directed by Lester Douglas and the copy for sale was his personal one. Also included is a 23-line autograph note to Douglas signed by Bruce Rogers ("B.R.") concerning the design of this book, modern art, architecture, design, etc. From Rogers' note: "I like ... your modernistic book ... better as a remembrance than as a book - but I admire all you youngsters' efforts to put "modernism" on the map - and you have almost done so - but not for long. It's getting passed already..."

BR also designed a Bible for the World Publishing Co. of Cleveland. It is often referred to as "The World Bible," but the full title is The Holy Bible Containing The Old And New Testaments Translated Out Of The Original Tongues And With The Former Translations Diligently Compared And Revised. It was limited to 975 copies, printed by A. Colish and was published in 1949, a folio (18-1/2 x 13-3/4 inches).

William Targ wrote an accompanying volume, The Making of the Bruce Rogers World Bible (World, 1949), 1875 copies only 500 of which were for sale, designed by BR and also printed by A. Colish. It was issued in a slipcase, but that is often missing.

>15 Glacierman: I think i spotted a B in the upper left crown.