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Number 100, 1975
Page 1
At The Cleveland Convention
AT THE Natural Bridge convention I bought a font of 24 point and set a 4-pager in it. So when a font of 48 point was donated to the Cleveland auction they thought I should buy it and print a paper in 48 pt. I declined. The only type I bought at Cleveland was the 14 pt. S.C. used in top 3 lines.
The Library
Don Frappier deserves a lot of credit for his efforts and his fine report to the Cleveland convention. But it merely brings up a situation most people never knew or have forgotten. About forty years ago Edwin Hadley Smith died and willed his huge collection of ajay papers to The Fossils who got a library in Philly to take it. After some dozen years they gave it back to The Fossils who next unloaded it on the NYU Library. In 40 years perhaps a dozen people have peeked at it to see that it really exists, but so far as I know, in 40 years, ONLY one person has really USED IT. In 1943 Burton Crane went to Philly for a week and then wrote a 16-page history titled “The Weary Years.” Of course that was commendable, But –
Something used once in forty years cannot be considered worth spending a lot of money on. If NYU will house it, hurrah for NYU! Frankly, no collection of ajay papers in any city is ever going to be worth the effort and expense to establish and maintain it. Private collections are built, maintained and often passed on. The collectors do work we couldn’t pay to have done.
Start a Circulating Library
This focusing attention on a library that might serve one-tenth of one percent of our members serves to draw attention to another kind that 90 percent could use. Thirty years ago I bound some volumes of files of leading ajay papers and those books circulated. Any member could borrow one for a week or two. Book post is still cheap.
This is not a theoretical idea that would take hundreds of dollars to start. For a dime you can begin it as soon as you finish reading this.
I will donate or loan the following volumes to the NAPA Circulating Library:
Churinga (2 volumes)
Cornerstone (2)
Denver
Gander (4)
Hillis
Interlude
Heir
Kitchen Stove
Mixed (2)
Morcom
Pals
Rolfe
Savary
Shattuck
Stripling
Telschow
Tony (2)
Watts
Postage on most books is 28 cents. For several obvious reasons we should limit borrowing to one volume at a time. Return books in two weeks.
Other members can donate or loan files of their papers and I will bind them – I better limit that and say I will bind (free) the first ten received.
This plan has President Segal’s approval, but we will operate it as unofficial this year. If it seems successful the Philly Convention can take steps to make it official. I will manage it this year but if it is to be continued, someone else is needed to do it.
If you are interested in any of these books write to Alf Babcock at Cranford, N.J. 07016
At The Cleveland Convention
My main reason for attending conventions is to meet old friends again and to meet in person for the first time others I have known only by mail. Without any question the top new pal was Gary Bossler. Other new friends who did not fall short of expectations were Ann and Carl Vrooman, Sally and Glenn Engebretsen, Hyman Bradofsky, Don Frappier, Keith Grey, and Jack Oliver. I am missing a few wives, not intending to slight them, but they did not register. Must not omit Jane Tuckerman, Ernest Witte, Job Watts and Lee O’Connor.
I think there were 45 people present whom I’d met before. It would be hard to pick whom to mention first except Louise Lincoln was there: She’s IT! I’ve probably known Felicitas, Bernice Spink, and Harold Segal all for 40 years and the Haywoods for nearly as long.
Ed Newman is high on the list & Russ Paxton, Willametta and Mart Keffer, Sesta, Elaine, Norm and Ruby Quillman, Al and Alma Fick, Warren and Helen Rosenberger, Tom Whitbread, Dr. Lewis, Joe Hillis, John and Jean Gillick, Bill Murtland, Bill, Ruth & Eric Boys, Jake, Leah & Dave Warner, Helen Adam, Gale Sheldon, Bob Kunde, Aimee Odessa, Joe Curran, Al Harshaw, Kermit Schuman, June & Wil Margesen, Bob & Ruth Hill, and the Jenningses, Williamses, Millers, Prowells and any others I may have missed.