Melbert Cary
Encyclopedia
Melbert Brinckerhoff Cary Jr. (1892 - 1941) was a graphic artist who imported numerous typefaces from Europe. He married Mary Flagler Cary
, an heiress of one of the founders of Standard Oil
. Mr Cary founded the Press of the Woolly Whale, a private press dedicated to producing fine editions of works Cary believed to be of interest and overlooked—a rejection of the private press tradition of producing only new editions of classic works. In his own words:
(Preface, The Vision of Sir Launfal (Press of the Woolly Whale, 1929)) He was also director of Continental Type Founders Association
, which imported typeface from Europe, including Kabel
and Eve typefaces. In the 1930s, Mr. Cary was instrumental in assisting Fritz Kredel
's emigration from Germany to the United States.
During the 1920s and 1930s, Mr. Cary assembled a library of over 2,300 volumes about printing., Melbert Cary was also an avid collector of playing cards. The Woolly Whale press's most renowned publication was The Devil's Bible, which was a set of playing cards using caricatures of World War I figures. In 1967, Cary's widow, Mary Flagler Cary
, donated the couple's card collection to Yale University, where it currently resides in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
and is referred to as the Cary Collection of Playing Cards
.
Woolly Whale also published The Missing Gutenberg Woodblocks, which was a made-up story of missing woodblocks from the Gutenberg project. Friz Kredel did some illustrations for this book, and some scholars took the book seriously.
His father, Melbert B. Cary
, was the Democratic candidate for governor of Connecticut
in 1902, and was the Chairman of the Democratic Party in Connecticut.
Melbert Cary, Jr. died of bone cancer in 1941.
The Cary Collection was presented to the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1969 by the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust as a memorial to Melbert Cary. Its collection of 20,000 volumes is described as one of America's premier libraries on the history and practice of printing.
Mary Flagler Cary
Mary Flagler Cary was heir to part of the Standard Oil fortune and became a notable philanthropist, mainly through the charitable trust established at her death...
, an heiress of one of the founders of Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
. Mr Cary founded the Press of the Woolly Whale, a private press dedicated to producing fine editions of works Cary believed to be of interest and overlooked—a rejection of the private press tradition of producing only new editions of classic works. In his own words:
Our intention [is] to publish only those text which appeal strongly to us, excluding those accepted classics, so completely accepted that they are never opened. Our interest lies only with those who read their books, cherishing them because of the enjoyment gained from using them.
(Preface, The Vision of Sir Launfal (Press of the Woolly Whale, 1929)) He was also director of Continental Type Founders Association
Continental Type Founders Association
Continental Type Founders Association was founded by Melbert Brinckerhoff Cary Jr. in 1925 to distribute foundry type imported from European foundries. The influence of more modern European type design was thus felt in the United States for the first time, and American foundries responded by...
, which imported typeface from Europe, including Kabel
Kabel (typeface)
Kabel is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed by German typeface designer Rudolf Koch, and released by the Klingspor foundry in 1927. The face was named to honor the newly completed trans-Atlantic telephone cable...
and Eve typefaces. In the 1930s, Mr. Cary was instrumental in assisting Fritz Kredel
Fritz Kredel
Fritz Kredel was a German graphic designer who was born in Michelstadt-im-Odenwald. In his early years, he studied under Rudolf Koch at Offenbach School of Design, and developed skills in woodcuts. Koch and Kredel collaborated on A Book of Signs and The Book of Flowers...
's emigration from Germany to the United States.
During the 1920s and 1930s, Mr. Cary assembled a library of over 2,300 volumes about printing., Melbert Cary was also an avid collector of playing cards. The Woolly Whale press's most renowned publication was The Devil's Bible, which was a set of playing cards using caricatures of World War I figures. In 1967, Cary's widow, Mary Flagler Cary
Mary Flagler Cary
Mary Flagler Cary was heir to part of the Standard Oil fortune and became a notable philanthropist, mainly through the charitable trust established at her death...
, donated the couple's card collection to Yale University, where it currently resides in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Yale University's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library was a 1963 gift of the Beinecke family. The building was designed by architect Gordon Bunshaft of the firm of Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill, and is the largest building in the world reserved exclusively for the preservation of rare books...
and is referred to as the Cary Collection of Playing Cards
Cary Collection of Playing Cards
The Cary Collection of Playing Cards, held at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library of Yale University in the USA, is one of the most significant assemblages of materials relating to playing cards and related ephemera in North America.- Overview :...
.
Woolly Whale also published The Missing Gutenberg Woodblocks, which was a made-up story of missing woodblocks from the Gutenberg project. Friz Kredel did some illustrations for this book, and some scholars took the book seriously.
His father, Melbert B. Cary
Melbert B. Cary
Melbert B. Cary was Chairman of the Democratic Party of Connecticut.-Biography:Cary was born Melbert Brinkerhoff Cary on July 23, 1852 in Racine, Wisconsin. In 1880, he married Julia Metcalf. Cary's son, Melbert, Jr., would become a noted graphic artist....
, was the Democratic candidate for governor of Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
in 1902, and was the Chairman of the Democratic Party in Connecticut.
Melbert Cary, Jr. died of bone cancer in 1941.
The Cary Collection was presented to the Rochester Institute of Technology in 1969 by the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust as a memorial to Melbert Cary. Its collection of 20,000 volumes is described as one of America's premier libraries on the history and practice of printing.
External links
- Cary Collection Rochester Institute of Technology, New York