The Ultimate Typography Lesson
Students in the GDD program had a rare glimpse into the world of the private press at Mission’s own Barbarian Press. Proprietors, Crispin and Jan Elsted, shared their craft and knowledge of letterpress and the book arts in an all-day workshop. Jan introduced students to hand-setting metal type and the skills of inking and printing on a hand press, while Crispin covered the book arts and typography—sharing their amazing collection of books.
“Private press printing is a craft, not an art. The design and making of beautiful books is only secondarily a matter of self-expression; its first excellence is to serve the author and the reader.”
—Crispin and Jan Elsted
While many private press printers start out as graphic designers, Crispin and Jan have come into the book arts from a literary background. They discovered their passion for working with their hands while completing their doctorates in Kent, England. Drawing inspiration from the work of Graham Clarke of Ebenzer Press they initially hand-printed a series of their own poems to celebrate a friend’s 50th wedding anniversary. Clarke introduced Crispin and Jan to Graham Williams of Florin Press who furthered their education in typography and letterpress printing—and the rest is history!
“We feel that nothing should come between the text and the reader, and it is our view that typography should have, in Robert Bringhurst’s phrase, ‘a statuesque transparency’: like good film music, the best typography is effective to the degree that it is unobtrusive, supporting, not supplanting, the principal experience of the reader.”
—Crispin and Jan Elsted
With this goal, Barbarian Press was founded in the UK in 1977 and moved to its current location in Mission, BC in 1978. To date the press has produced numerous publications ranging from books on wood engraving, Victorian melodrama, classics, poetry, to new translations of poetry and prose.
Learn more about Barbarian Press and Crispin and Jan Elsted:
Nigel Beale Interview with Crispin and Jan Elsted
Hoi Barbaroi: A Quarter Century at Barbarian Press
