John Fass: Book Arts and Photography

Categories

  • Home: About this Site

    (1)
  • Frequently Asked Questions

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  • Born & Raised in Lititz, PA

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  • Part One:
    Photography by John Fass:

    John's First Photographs

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  • New York City: Urban Precisionism
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  • John's Apartment at the Bronx YMCA
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  • More 1940s New York City
    (1)
  • 1940s New York Sidewalk Art
    (1)
  • New York City at Night
    (1)
  • Pennsylvania Dutch Farms
    (1)
  • Lancaster County Covered Bridges
    (1)
  • The Hammer Creek near Lititz
    (1)
  • Hammer Creek Turtles
    (1)
  • Ephrata Cloister: Lancaster County
    (1)
  • Portraits of Esther and Clarence
    (1)
  • Alone in a Landscape
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  • Trees and Leaves
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  • John Photographs the West
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  • Light and Shadow
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  • Line and Shape
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  • Texture
    (1)
  • Botanical
    (1)
  • Abstract Expressionism
    (1)
  • John's Printing Presses
    (1)
  • John's Favorite Printed Pages
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  • Valenti and Maxine Angelo
    (1)
  • More Friends of John Fass
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  • Part Two:
    John's Printing & Publishing:

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  • John's Mentor: Bruce Rogers
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  • John's Bruce Rogers Scrapbook
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  • Printing for Random House (1)
  • Rockwell Kent
    (1)
  • Elmer Adler / Pynson Printers
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  • Frederic & Bertha Goudy
    (1)
  • George W. Jones
    (1)
  • John Makes Mini Printing Presses
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  • John's Book-Design Awards
    (1)
  • John's Hammer Creek Press (1)
  • Bookplates by John Fass
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  • 1929: John Fass does Europe
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  • Christmas Cards by John Fass
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  • John's Harbor Press
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  • John Makes Marble Paper
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  • More Book Design Sketches
    (1)
  • Louis How
    (1)
  • John's Commercial Printing
    (1)
  • Typophiles and Bibliophiles
    (1)
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John Fass and the Typophiles Club

 

Typoinsignias 
Above: Sample Typophile logos designed and printed by John Fass

 

Dinner222 
Above:  John Fass (smoking pipe) at a Typophiles meeting


Typodevices 
 Devices 
Above:  A 1937 call for Typophiles logos (devices).  Booklet designed by John Fass

 

Typpp Above: 1937 collection of  Typophile logo (device) samples.  Booklet designed by John Fass


The Typophiles is an association of people who appreciate fine printing, typography, and bookmaking. The group first began meeting in Manhattan in the 1930s, at Burty's French Restaurant on West 50th Street.  They called themselves the Biblio Beef Eaters. 

The groups was led by Paul Bennett, who was layout director for Mergenthaler Linotype Company. John Fass was actively involved with the organization from its earliest meetings, and designed some of their first publications.

Abe Lerner described John Fass' design of the 1937 Typophiles book Left to their Own Devices, "This book is the most beautiful of the early chap books, and one of the most beautiful of the entire series, mainly because it was designed by just one person, John Fass, a very good designer. Although many shops contributed to the presswork, the typesetting was done at only one place, Mergenthaler Linotype, using Janson throughout in accordance with Fass’s designs. The paper, a lovely gray-tinted sheet uniform for the whole volume, contributed its share to the handsome unity of effect." (www.typophiles.org)


Tapi

Above: John Fass' proof of initials for Left to their own Devices

 

1935: John Prints Barnacles from Many Bottoms for Bruce Rogers:

Barnac 

In 1935 the Typophiles club published Barnacles from Many Bottoms, (cheeky title included) to honor Bruce Rogers, the goup's most celebrated designer.  

The title page included initials of Typophile club associates, including JSF (John S. Fass).  The two most famous designers and typographers of this group were Bruce Rogers and William A. Dwiggins. These two artists never needed more than their initials to identify themselves to this group.  There could only ever be one "BR" (Bruce Rogers), and one "WAD" (William Addison Dwiggins) . John Fass often signed his work JSF, to suggest that his work as good as the work of BR and WAD.

 

Bruceinvite 
 Above: 1935 invitation to John Fass for a Typophiles dinner

 
 

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