Congratulations to Gleeson Library’s rare book librarian, John Hawk, on the publication of his book Mallette Dean, a Printmaker and His Art, published by the Book Club of California.
The book documents the work of Mallette Dean (1907-1975) who was a California artist, illustrator, and letterpress printer. Dean was a W.P.A. artist who contributed panels to Coit Tower; he also was a Federal Art Project printmaker whose works were widely exhibited in the 1930s and early 1940s. The Donohue Rare Book Room holds Dean’s archive of printed works and over 1,600 original blocks (wood engravings, linocuts, and woodcuts).
John’s book documents Dean’s creative work including his prints, paintings, book illustrations, printed ephemera, bookplates, and printer’s devices. The book is heavily illustrated and will be an important reference for the artist and the history of the fine press book in California.
John’s book has been added to the library catalog and is available in the Rare Book Room; a digital copy will be added to the Library’s Scholarship Repository. For those interested in viewing Dean’s prints, the collection has been digitized and is available in the Library’s Digital Collections.