Son of a Linotype Salesman

One of the subjects for the History of Graphic Design in South Louisiana project is James Gabour, 96, who still goes every day to his printing plant in Pineville, Louisiana.

For a while he was the local Linotype sales and service rep, his region around here was quite large.

James’ son, Jim Gabour, Artist in Residence and Professor of Video Technology, Loyola University New Orleans told me about his dad and we have been corresponding about him ever since.

Following is the text from some of that correspondence while setting up my appointment to take James oral history:

“Sent: Date: Jun 21, 2008 9:43 AM
To: nancy sharon collins
Subject: Re: dad

Thanks, Nancy.

When Manners Mattered

Selections from History in Small Spaces the upcoming exhibition of large format archival pigment prints July 17-21, TypeCon 2008, Buffalo, New York.

The desire for getting along in polite society have long tempted the fancy of aspiring souls, following are the musings of beautiful and enchanting young Undine Spragg, newcomer to the travails of the cosmopolitan dream:

“She went to the window, and drawing back its many layers of lace gazed eastward down the long brown-stone perspective. Beyond the Park lay Fifth Avenue–and Fifth Avenue was where she wanted to be!

"Etiquette and Typography" at TypeCon 2008

We burned our bras and the traditions of polite society in the 1960s. Perhaps the post-Victorian, war-torn, Democracy-mongering notions of social form became outmoded, but, with the ruin of rules for civil engagement, how have three generations of Americans learned to get along.

By looking at examples of communication tools for written correspondence we can perhaps get a glimpse at what we have learned about polite society and what we have lost.

I will be presenting this engaging topic on Sunday, July 20 during the afternoon session of “Type in 20”.

As Cited in VOGUE

“Vogue Most Wanted: Week of 06.05.2008″
edited by Meredith Melling Burke

http://www.style.com/vogue/indexonline/060508

Hit item #9 after the Vera Wang perfume.

Addendum to Sumner Stone Article Blog; from an Engraver's Point of View

It was with great interest that I read most of the comments to the blog about Sumner Stone’s article in “letterspace. The newsletter of the Type Directors Club”. Mr. Stone had just been to south Louisiana giving a workshop, lecture, and participating in our local AIGA Student Portfolio Day so much of what was covered in the article our local students benefitted by in person.

I was out of town so missed the opportunity to talk with Mr. Stone directly. I have an ongoing curiosity why, in conversations about the origins of letterforms, we discuss the quality of stone cutting and calligraphic brushes or pens but never engraving.

History in Small Places at TypeCon2008

“History in Small Spaces: Solo Exhibition of Large Format Archival Pigment Prints” by this author travels from Abingdon 12, NYC, to the 2008 TypeCon Conference in Buffalo, NY. Eight prints from the original will be on exhibition during the conference then will travel to the Hill Memorial Library, Baton Rouge, LA.

http://www.nancysharoncollinsstationer.com/education4.php

http://nancysharoncollinsstationer.wordpress.com/2008/03/29/history-in-s...

Blogging on Typophile for the CMYB Expertimental, On-line Design Course

This summer, Daniela Marx and I are co-teaching an experimental design course completely on-line.

We want to see how it might be possible to teach a full studio course on design using only the internet. Utilizing the Loyola University New Orleans Blackboard format as the administrative center, we are teaching the studio experience through reading, writing and creating with blogs, MySpace and Youtube. The Media Services department is videotaping tutorials for us which will be uploaded to Blackboard, and, we are creating our own mini-tutorials through ScreenFlow.

Who Owns the Red Cross Icon?

Attached are a bundle of articles about who owns the rights for reproduction for the iconic red cross symbol.

Included is commentary from Harry Allen, former Prescriptives colleague of mine and an article about Chris Hacker.

So, who does own the symbol?

http://www.harryallendesign.com/

http://www.id-mag.com/article/Clean-Clear/

Watermarks

At one point during the four-day-bindery-athon the conversation turned to watermarks. The 9# vintage, 100% cotton rag onion skin we were using in the Japanese bindery project is watermarked, so, I took the opportunity to talk about watermarks and paper making with my LSU graphic design student assistants.

This example is from my collection, the engraved monogram is one of my own, the paper is vintage from the same mill as the onion skin we used in the bindery project.

A great website containing a collection of 332 watermarks is:

http://www.watermarks.info/indexi.htm

also, the Robert C. Williams Paper Museum has some interesting information about watermarks and paper in general:

http://ipst.gatech.edu/amp/collection/index.htm

Japanese Hand Bindery Work

Go to my Wordpress blog to read about the 175 engraved and hand bound booklets we are making in the Japanese accordion style:

http://nancysharoncollinsstationer.wordpress.com/2008/05/15/47/