HISTORY OF THE LIMITED EDITIONS CLUB.|THE by Grossman, Carol Porter - 2017

New Castle, Delaware: Oak Knoll Press, 2017. hardcover, cloth spine over paper-covered boards. 8.5 x 11 inches. hardcover, cloth spine over paper-covered boards. xii, 276 pages. A SIGNED COPY BY THE AUTHOR OF THIS LOVELY BOOK



"This handsome volume is long overdue. ... lively, well illustrated, honest and informative: Macy and Schiff may not have been Cobden-Sanderson or Mardersteig, but they deserve study nonetheless, and it is hard to see how the task could have been done better."

- Angus O'Neill, The Library



"Designed in the spirit of the LEC with a large format and numerous coloured images, it is a beautiful book about beautiful books."

- Lise Jaillant, TLS



"Without doubt a magnificent accomplishment!"

- August Imholtz, Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America



"In addition to presenting the deep history of the business and the people involved, Grossman examines the legacy and reputation of the books left to bibliophiles, scholars, booksellers and collectors. ... An important brick in the foundation of illustrated literature and book design."

- Steven Heller, PRINT Magazine



"Absorbing, highly enjoyable, and finely written . . . Bibliophiles will take pleasure in looking at and handling Grossmans book for the warmth and charm of its production."

- Pradeep Sebastian, The Hindu



George Macy started the Limited Editions Club with backing from investors in the heyday of the stock market of 1929. After enlisting founding subscribers and collaborators and preparing the initial series of 12 titles, the first book shipped during the week of the stock market collapse. The story of how the Limited Editions Club survived as a combination book club and fine press/publishing house through more than 80 years of ups and downs is a fascinating one, and it has not been properly told until now.



Macy worked closely with such designers and printers as W. A. Dwiggins, Frederic Warde, the Grabhorns, William Kittredge, Bruce Rogers, Hans Mardersteig, Francis Meynell, T. M. Cleland, Fredric Goudy, and D. B. Updike. Contributing to LEC books were the foremost illustrators of the day, as well as such artists as Picasso, Matisse, Rodin, George Grosz, Edward Steichen, and Edward Weston. Macy was eventually honored with exhibits at the British Museum and the Bibliothèque Nationale, and he was awarded the Medal of the Legion of Honor of France and the AIGA Gold Medal for lifetime achievement and service to the graphic arts.



After George's death in 1956, his widow Helen continued to maintain the quality of the publications until she retired in 1971. After several changes of ownership and uncertain years, Wall Street financier Sid Shiff put the company back on its feet and revitalized the LEC output, producing some of the most handsome livres d'artistes of the 20th and 21st centuries.



Author Carol Grossman began collecting the LEC in the 1960s and has been conducting research with this book in mind for many years. In addition to presenting the rich history of the enterprise and the people involved in great detail, she examines the legacy and reputation of the books left to bibliophiles, scholars, booksellers, and collectors.



The History of the Limited Editions Club was designed by Jerry Kelly in the spirit of the LEC and is embellished with over 90 illustrations in color showing bindings, title and text page designs, artwork, sketches, notes, and ephemera.