The American Printing History Association

October 14–15, 2011
Printing at the Edge:
36th Annual Conference
UC San Diego

San Diego sits at the southwest corner of the United States: at the edge of the United States, at the edge of the international border with Mexico, and at the edge of the Pacific Ocean. We invite you to join us next year for an exploration of printing at the edge.

What have been the transformative moments in printing history that have changed the direction of printing, typography, papermaking, bookbinding, or book design, and moved us to a new edge? What are today’s frontiers? Where is tomorrow’s edge?

Presentations might examine this theme geographically, through the history of printing in a variety of American locales, as “the edge” moved from the eastern seaboard westward across the frontier. An exploration of printing beyond the edge, or across borders, could encompass papers on printing in Mexico (the earliest in the Americas) or other Latin American venues, or along the Pacific Rim. Exploration from the technological perspective might focus on the cutting edge innovations that moved printing and publishing forward over the last several hundred years. In the nineteenth century, printing presses evolved dramatically due to the desire for speed in production and dissemination of information, and enormous papermaking machines dramatically increased production. What were the limits of technology that held us back until a breakthrough? Papers about the conceptual edge might look at the role of printing in artists’ books, or at new printing technologies, or the sudden viability of eBooks. What new mechanisms propel us closer to a new or different edge? A historical focus could look at the personalities and institutions at the leading edge of technical and conceptual innovations in printing history.

Download the Call for Papers.

We will convene in beautiful La Jolla, California at the University of California, San Diego during its 50th anniversary. Conference attendees will have access to on-campus exhibitions showcasing the collections of the UCSD libraries. Before and after the conference, attendees will be well situated to explore the cultural and recreational attractions of the greater San Diego area, including the Athenaeum Music and Arts Library, the museums of Balboa Park, the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, and Mission Bay.

Further details will be posted in January 2011.

Lynda Claassen, Site Host
Richenda Brim, Program Chair
Submitted by Kitty Maryatt, VP for Programs

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