Table of Contents
- Collection Summary
- Biographical Note
- Scope and Content Note
- Subject Headings
- Related Material
- Administrative Information
- Access and Use
- Encoding Information
- Arrangement
- Series List
- Container List
Collection Summary
| Repository: | Archives and Special Collections Library, Vassar College Libraries |
|---|---|
| Creator: | Goudy, Frederic W. (Frederic William), 1865-1947 |
| Title: | Frederic Goudy Papers |
| Dates: | 1903-1966 |
| Quantity: | 6 cubic feet (14 boxes) |
| Abstract: | Correspondence, articles by and about Goudy, type specimens, type and other printing hardware, memorabilia, and other materials relating to Frederic Goudy and his type designs. |
Biographical Note
Frederic William Goudy was one of the foremost American typographers and printers of the twentieth century. Over the course of his long career, he designed dozens of typefaces—including Lanston, Kennerley, and Goudy Old Style—many of which are still used today. Goudy is also known for his work with the Village Press, which he founded in 1903 with an associate, William Ransom. After buying out Ransom, Goudy moved the press to a number of locations, eventually establishing it in 1920 at Deepdene, his home in Marlboro, New York. At Deepdene, Goudy and his wife, Bertha Sprinks Goudy (1869–1935), who worked as compositor, produced a wide range of books, pamphlets, broadsides, and ephemera. In 1924 the Goudys purchased the Albion printing press that had belonged to William Morris, founder of the Kelmscott Press. Goudy continued to use this press until 1939, when a fire destroyed his Deepdene workshop, forcing him to close the Village Press permanently. In addition to operating the Village Press, Goudy served as artistic director of the Lanston Monotype Machine Company, for which he designed many notable typefaces. He also lectured at several educational institutions, including Vassar College. Born on March 18, 1865, in Bloomington, Illinois, Frederic Goudy died on May 11, 1947, at his Deepdene home.
TopScope and Content Note
Correspondence, articles by and about Goudy, type specimens, type and other printing hardware, memorabilia, and other materials relating to Frederic Goudy and his type designs.
TopArrangement
This collection is arranged in ten series. See Series List below for arrangement within each series.TopAccess and Use
Access
This collection is open for research according to the regulations of the Vassar College Archives and Special Collections Library without any additional restrictions.
Restrictions on Use
Permission to quote (publish) from unpublished or previously published material must be obtained as described in the regulations of the Vassar College Archives and Special Collections Library.
Subject Headings
Names:
- Borden, Fanny
- Emmons, Earl H., 1888-
- Goudy, Bertha, 1869-1935
- Kennerley, Mitchell, 1878-1950
- MacCracken, H. N. (Henry Noble), 1880-1970
- Rogers, Bruce, 1870-1957
Organizations:
- Lanston Monotype Machine Company
- Maverick Press
- Village Press
Subjects:
- Printing--United States--History--Sources
- Type and type-founding--United States--Specimens
Document Types:
- Type (composition equipment)
- Type specimens
VCL Categories
- Printing and Publishing
Encoding Information
Encoded by Mark Seidl December, 2011. Updated by Mark Seidl January-March, June, 2014.
TopAdministrative Information
Preferred Citation
Frederic Goudy Papers, Archives and Special Collections Library, Vassar College Libraries.
Processing Information
Processed by Mark Seidl December, 2011. Reprocessed by Mark Seidl January-March, 2014.
Series List
Series I. Correspondence, 1923-1955 (Box 1) | |
|---|---|
| This series includes Goudy's correspondence with Fanny Borden, Alice Goudy Lochhead's correspondence with Fanny Borden, Goudy's correspondence with the Vassar College Library, correspondence relating to the Vassar College Village Press collection, and unidentified correspondence. Arranged chronologically. |
Series II. Essays and Addresses, circa 1933-circa 1941 (Boxes 1, 6, and 13) | |
|---|---|
| This series consists of Goudy's essays and addresses. Of particular interest are the addresses he delivered at Vassar College. Arranged chronologically. |
Series III. Publications, 1903-1960 (Boxes 1, 2, and 13) | |
|---|---|
| Divided into two subseries, this series consists of articles by and about Goudy. Each subseries is arranged chronologically. |
Series IV. Type and Type Specimens, circa 1923-1946 (Boxes 2, 6, 8, 9, and 14) | |
|---|---|
| This series includes type, quoins, and other printing hardware, as well as printed specimens and other materials relating to the typefaces Goudy designed. Arranged alphabetically. |
Series V. Broadsides, circa 1920-circa 1942 (Boxes 4, 6, 14, and 15) | |
|---|---|
| This series includes broadsides printed by the Village Press and Maverick Press, as well as unidentified broadsides. Arranged alphabetically. |
Series VI. Slides, After 1933 (Boxes 10-12) | |
|---|---|
| This series consists of photographic slides of examples of Goudy's typefaces, monograms, and other designs. Arranged numerically. |
Series VII. Book Covers, Bookplates, and Other Designs, 1910-circa 1946 (Boxes 2, 6, and 15) | |
|---|---|
| In this series are book covers, bookplates, brochures, pamphlets, title pages, and monograms designed by Goudy. Also included are examples of the masthead Goudy designed for Vassar College's Miscellany News. Arranged chronologically. |
Series VIII. Exhibits, Honors, and Tributes, 1923-1966 (Boxes 2, 3, 6, 13, and 14) | |
|---|---|
| This series includes materials relating to exhibits of Goudy's type faces and designs, as well as addresses, songs, and other materials produced in honor of him. Arranged alphabetically. |
Series IX. Portraits and Memorabilia, c. 1930-c. 1946 (Boxes 3, 4, 6, 7, 13, and 14) | |
|---|---|
| This series consists of photographs, portraits, and memorabilia. Of particular interest is a bas relief portrait of Frederic and Bertha Goudy. Arranged alphabetically. |
Series X. Miscellaneous Files, 1932-1957 (Boxes 4, 5, and 6) | |
|---|---|
| This series includes files relating to the death of Bertha Goudy and Goudy's Deepdene estate. Also included are materials pertaining to the Bruce Rogers Lectern Bible and to the Maverick Press. Arranged alphabetically. |
Container List
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Details
Correspondence, articles by and about Goudy, type specimens, type and other printing hardware, memorabilia, and other materials relating to Frederic Goudy and his type designs.
