A major figure in the history of the fine press book in California, H. Mallette Dean (1907-1975) was a prolific artist whose career as a printmaker, painter, muralist, illustrator, and letterpress printer spanned several decades. He designed, illustrated, and printed several titles for the Book Club of California and contributed initials and ornaments to dozens of books published by eminent California presses. Speaker John Hawk will discuss Dean’s work and influence on the Book Club and its publications.

In the tradition of other distinguished titles published by the Book Club of California, Mallette Dean, A Printmaker and His Art is a foundational bibliography and an important chapter in the history of printing in the West. This publication is the Book Club of California’s 237th publication. It was published in two editions: a Deluxe Edition of 25 copies and a Standard Edition of 325 copies. Both are on display in the current exhibit.

Note: Proof of vaccination and photo ID are required for admission, and a mask will be required.

John Hawk is the head librarian, Special Collections & University Archives at the University of San Francisco, and past president of the Book Club of California.

Mark your calendars and join us on December 16th at 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time for our next virtual meetup. A great opportunity for connection, our virtual event via Zoom is open to anyone in the book-publishing industry. So, grab a drink and come catch up, share news, and get advice. Prost!

We plan to continue holding virtual meetups over Zoom on the third Thursday of each month for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, we are wistfully looking forward to in-person meetups again someday.