ON A HIGH SHELF. Roycroft Books and Bookmakers. In the most comprehensive history and bibliography of Roycroft books ever undertaken, David B. Ogle describes all known editions and variants of Roycroft books published between 1896 and 1915. Additionally, On a High Shelf includes a listing with occasional commentary of titles published between 1916 and 1943. Researched in cooperation with Richard Blacher and other leading Roycroft collectors, the author presents a fascinating history of the Roycroft Printing Shop, its artists, typographers and bookbinders, and the materials used to produce Roycroft books. Hundreds of documentary and archival photos, most of which have never been published, richly illustrate the text. Fifty-five color photographs reveal the exquisite detail of some of the finest Roycroft bindings in the Richard Blacher collection. Meticulously researched and beautifully illustrated, On a High Shelf has been a labor of love, many years in the making. S clear and colorful style makes this book not only informative but imminently readable, as well. Introduction: Appraisals and Reappraisals? S Quest for Art & Glory? Benevolent Paternalism at the Roycroft Shop? Prominent Roycrofters: Talent in Transition? A Legacy in Limp Leather? Books of the Experimental Period? Books of the Mature Period? Books of the Expansion Period? Books of the Post-Hubbard Era? Appendix: Periodicals and Ephemera? 336 pages, printed on 80-pound coated text. Signed and numbered by the author on an original leaf of watermarked Roycroft paper. Limited to 150 copies. The limitation number shown in the photo is an example and not the actual limitation number you will receive. Roycroft Books and On a High Shelf. The year was 1895. The unlikely place was East Aurora, New York, a tiny hamlet in the western part of the state near Buffalo. Here a former soap salesman, advertising executive, and aspiring writer, Elbert Green Hubbard, launched a new enterprise. Variously known as The Roycroft Printing Shop or simply? His new business soon blossomed into one of the most influential publishers of fine books in America. Inspired by the work of William Morris and his Kelmscott Press in England, within a few short years Hubbard and his flock of more than 500 dedicated workers had established the Roycrofters as the largest and most important pioneers in the revival of fine printing and other Arts & Crafts disciplines in this country. On a High Shelf chronicles the history of Hubbard? S bookmaking activities from those modest beginnings until his death aboard the Lusitania in 1915 and the firm? S ultimate demise in 1943. More than twenty years in preparation, this important study presents a highly readable history of the Roycrofters. It also documents, in precise detail, the bibliographic parameters found in the 229 permanently bound volumes Roycroft produced during that period. The book also includes many fascinating anecdotes related to the writers, artists, and illustrators associated with Hubbard? Denslow and Dard Hunter, a protean figure many observers regard as the greatest artist/craftsman of his generation. The heart of On a High Shelf, based mainly on the meticulous research of the author and several important collectors of Roycroft material? Both individuals and institutions? Are the detailed book descriptions presented for each title. Of particular interest to specialists are the lists of variant bindings in which these books are found. On a High Shelf is designed to satisfy the needs of a broad variety of readers? Antique and rare book dealers, Arts & Crafts enthusiasts, special collection librarians, and, of course, the burgeoning coterie of collectors who concentrate on Roycroft books and ephemera. After his graduation from Stanford University in 1960, David B. Ogle pursued a multifaceted career in technical publications, advertising, and public relations. As Creative Director for a San Francisco ad agency and head of his own firm in Silicon Valley, he wrote and produced advertising for many of the region? S pioneer high-tech companies. He also founded and operated an exhibit design firm specializing in portable displays for use at tradeshows. In 1983 he switched careers dramatically when he bought and refurbished an existing used bookshop in Sunnyvale, later relocated to larger quarters in nearby Los Altos. For many years an avid collector of Roycroft books, On a High Shelf is his first full-length book. Ogle has also been active in the railway preservation movement in America, having served as a director and officer of Scenic Railways Inc. Original operators of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad of Chama, New Mexico, the longest and highest steam-powered rail line in the nation.
