American book design and William Morris

by Susan Otis Thompson

Dr. Thompson distinguishes the elements of what has heretofore seemed to be a confused stream of forms - the Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, and Aesthetic styles. She analyzes historical material drawn from rare published and unpublished sources, as well as the stylistic elements themselves of books that, largely forgotten now, were major events for the young artists in this typographic revolution. There are 111 illustrations of bindings, title pages, type, and decorations, as well as a very extensive bibliography. Dr. Thompson's landmark study, American Book Design and William Morris, is the first one to document in depth the real extent of Morris' influence on American bookmaking. A unique, profusely illustrated contribution to American intellectual and cultural history, it will appeal not only to book designers, art historians, typographers, and graphic artists, but also to librarians, book collectors, and students of literature.