Fine Presses Collection

Mount Holyoke College has a history of collecting examples of the work of renowned presses from the earliest days of the printed book in Europe to the present. Among the printers represented are Nicolas Jenson (Venice, Italy : 15th century); the house of Aldus Manutius (Venice, Italy : 15th -16th centuries); and the press of John Baskerville (Cambridge, England : 18th century). Important engravers such as Johann Theodor and Johann Israel de Bry (Germany : 17th century) and David Roberts (19th century) are also represented.

In the twentieth century we have representative works of Golden Cockerel Press (Berkshire, England), Gwasg Gregynog (Wales), and Pomegranate Press (Cambridge, Mass.) and selected women book-artists. The Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts has long been the home of some great American presses (and the accompanying binderies) such as the Cummington Press (Cummington, Mass.), Leonard Baskin's Gehenna Press (Northampton, Mass., etc.) and Michael Kuch's Double Elephant Press (Northampton, Mass.).

Some presses are represented by complete books, some by broadsides, and some by single leaves. An important sub-collection within this group is the Ross Collection of contemporary English private presses.