Few American bibliophiles and printers will not think of Ward Ritchie if I said the words 'American fine press', and for good reason too. Harry 'Ward' Ritchie, who later became known just as Ward Ritchie was one of the leading members of his jet-set, what has since been called the Golden Age of American Fine Art Press.
Harry Ritchie inaugurated his Ward Ritchie Press to publish such works as contemporary Americana and leading-edge poets of his time, and his name is associated with the other Californian fine art presses of Arion and Grabhorn. Unlike others however, Ward Ritchie operated a little later than some, and instead reached out to a much wider audience thanks, for the most part, to his intense commitment to his authors.
Ward Ritchie disliked pompous bibliophiles, and instead insisted that the books he designed were not stuffy, had no set house style, but instead were molded around their subject and author. In this way he gathered many of the leading lights of the American poetry scene to him, because of his honesty and generosity of spirit. Ward Ritchie even went so far as to set up the Rounceand Coffin Club, or a bibliophile society for paupers, who could not afford to collect the rarest and most expensive volumes. Over the next few decades from the 1920's until 1970's the Ward Ritchie Press succeeded in working with such luminaries as Carl Sandberg, Robinson Jeffers, Archibald McLeish and Lawrence Clarke Powell.
For the contemporary collector, the Ward Ritchie Press offers a somewhat unique opportunity to collect at relatively cheap face value works of a highly respected fine art printer, which made an important difference to the development of the private press in America. Such institutions as the Ward Ritchie Press, the Grabhorn Institute and the Arion Press have formed the keys bonds with the past that have kept the fine art Golden Age of San Francisco alive and allowed this legacy to be inherited by modern day small presses up and down the country. Many singular volumes of poetry are fairly inexpensive, and will form an important, collectible catalog in years to come if not preserved in private and public collections.
Links:
http://www.kensandersbooks.com/shop/rarebooks/publisher/The%20Ward%20Ritchie%20Press.html
http://articles.latimes.com/1996-01-27/news/mn-29263_1_ward-ritchie-press
MacLeish, Archibald. Interrogate the Stones. Ward Ritchie (1929).
Adams, Leonie. Midsummer. Ward Ritchie (1929).
Bogan, Louise. Women. Ward Ritchie (1929).
Jeffers, Robinson. Stars. Ward Ritchie (1930).
,. The Booklover's Litany by H.L.. Ward Ritchie (1930). Introduction and five supplications by Robert Ernest Cowan
MacIntyre, Carlyle. The Brimming Cup. Ward Ritchie (1930).
Flanner, Hildegarde. In Galilee. Ward Ritchie (1932).
Van Wyck, William. Sonnets for Helen. Ward Ritchie (1932). From the Book of Loves by Pierre de Ronsard
Cowen, Robert Ernest. The Awful Fate of an Impenitent. Ward Ritchie (1932). A Moral Reflection
Millard, Alice Mrs. George M. Doves Books from the Press and Bindery of T.J. Cobden-Sanderson. Ward Ritchie (1933). With memorabilia of the man assembled by Mrs. George M. Millard at the Little Museum of La Miniatura in Pasadena
Riggs, Lynn. Listen, Mind. Ward Ritchie (1933).
Grayson, Charles. The Sportsman's Hornbook. Ward Ritchie (1933). Illustrated by Ernest Smythe
Brinton, Anna Cox. A Pre-Raphaelite Aeneid of Virgil in the Collection of Mrs. Edward Laurence Doheny of Los Angeles. Ward Ritchie (1934). Being an essay in honor of the William Morris Centenary.
Tallack, William. California Overland Express. Ward Ritchie (1935). The Longest Stage in the World
Ocharte, Pedro. Cartilla Para Ensenar A Leer. Ward Ritchie (1935).
Bixby, Florence Green. Is There A Thing Called Spring. Ward Ritchie (1936).
George, Ruth. Pipings Down a Valley. Ward Ritchie (1937).
Cleland, Robert G. The History of Occidental College 1887-1937. Ward Ritchie (1937).
Oliver, Harry. Desert Rough Cuts. Ward Ritchie (1938). A Haywire History of the Borego Desert; Woodcuts by Oliver
Jones, Louis Seymour. Put a Feather in Your Hat…Light Garden Reading. Ward Ritchie (1938).
Van Wyck, William. Robinson Jeffers. Ward Ritchie (1938).
Dakin, Susanna Bryant. The Christ Child. Ward Ritchie (1938). A Children's Play with Christmas Carols. Four original woodcuts by Paul Landacre
Wagner, Henry R. The Grabhorn Press. Ward Ritchie (1938). A Catalogue of Imprints in the Collection of Henry R Wagner
Huxley, Aldous. The Most Agreeable Vice. Ward Ritchie (1938).
Hogan, Frank J. The Romantics, 1801-1820. Ward Ritchie (1938). An Exhibition of Books and Autograph Letters from the Collection of Frank J. Hogan, with a Prologue and an Epilogue
Twain, Mark. The Washoe Giant in San Francisco. Ward Ritchie (1938).
Ritchie, Ward (Peter Lum Quince). The Year's at the Spring. Ward Ritchie (1938).
Greenan, Edith. Of Una Jeffers. Ward Ritchie (1939).
Everson, William. San Joaquin. Ward Ritchie (1939).
Bancroft, Anne. The Memorable Lives of Bummer and Lazarus. Ward Ritchie (1939). Citizens of San Francisco
Culley, John Henry. Cattle, Horses and Men of the Western Range. Ward Ritchie (1940).
Kaufmann, Friedrich Wilhelm. German Dramatist of the 19th Century. Ward Ritchie (1940).
Ritchie, Ward. John Gutenberg 1440-1940. Ward Ritchie (1940). A Fanciful Story of the 15th Century; illustrated by Fletcher Martin
Rodgers, Andrew D III. Rocks Before The Mansion. Ward Ritchie (1940).
Landacre, Paul. The Club: A List of Members. Ward Ritchie (1940).
Trotula of Salerno,. The Diseases of Women. Ward Ritchie (1940). A translation of Passionibus Mulierum Curandorum
Hathaway, Louise. The Enchanted Hour. Ward Ritchie (1940).
Lustig, Alvin and Alfred Young Fisher. The Ghost in the Underblows. Ward Ritchie (1940). Introduction by Lawrence Clark Powell
Huxley, Aldous. Words and Their Meanings. Ward Ritchie (1940).
Barnes, Will C. Apaches and Longhorns. Ward Ritchie (1941). Edited by Frank C. Lockwood
Collins, Asa W. Doctor Asa. Ward Ritchie (1941).
Everline, Florence Miriam. From a Pepper Bough: Brown Twigs. Ward Ritchie (1941).
Berry, Alice Edna. The Bushes and the Berrys. Ward Ritchie (1941).
Cleland, Robert Glass. The Cattle on a Thousand Hills. Ward Ritchie (1941). Southern Californis 1850-1970
Milligan, Clarence P. Death Valley and Scotty. Ward Ritchie (1942).
,. Fruits of the Valley. Ward Ritchie (1942). California Artists and Writers of the San Joaquin Valley
Parkes, Dow. God's Barn. Ward Ritchie (1943). Illustrated by Cas Duchow
Lockwood, Frank C. Life in Old Tucson. Ward Ritchie (1943). 1854-1864, As Remembered by The Little Maid Atanacia Santa Cruz
Frost, Robert and Earl J Bernheimer. Season's Greeting for the Year 1943. Ward Ritchie (1943).
Frost, Robert. The Guardeen. Ward Ritchie (1943).
Creekmore, Hubert. The Stone Ants. Ward Ritchie (1943). Seven Poems
Page, James. I N Van Nuys 1835-1912. Ward Ritchie (1944).
,. Many Friends of Lieutenant Gregg Anderson. Ward Ritchie (1944).
Storm, Theodore. Oktoberlied. Ward Ritchie (1945). Translation by C F MacIntyre
Bushnell, Mabel Cone. Poems. Ward Ritchie (1945).
Bernheimer, Earle J. Season's Greeting for the Year 1945. Ward Ritchie (1945).
Chevalier, Stuart. World Charter and the Road to Peace. Ward Ritchie (1946).
Rostand, Edmond. Cyrano de Bergerac Chanticleer. Ward Ritchie (1947).
Balzer, Robert Lawrence. California's Best Wines. Ward Ritchie (1948). Illustrated by Cas Duchow
Hughes, Langston. Cuba Libre. Ward Ritchie (1948). Gar Gilbert, illustrator. Nicolas Guillen. Poems translated from Spanish
Driver, Jessica Somers. Expression for Moderns. Ward Ritchie (1948). Essentials of Reading Aloud and Speaking
Smith, George Smedley. Intervallum. Ward Ritchie (1948). Designed by Fred Reid
Edwards, E I. Into An Alkali Valley. Ward Ritchie (1948). The First Written Account of Death Valley
Steinitz, Kate and Margot Archer. Manuscripts of Leonardo da Vinci. Ward Ritchie (1948). Their History, with a Description of the Manuscript Editions in Facsimile
Quince, Peter Lum. A Few More for the Powells and Hea(r)th Room. Ward Ritchie (1949).
Jeffers, Robinson. Poetry, Gongorism and a Thousand Years. Ward Ritchie (1949).
,. A Memorial Library of Music at Stanford University. Ward Ritchie (1950).
O'Donnell, Mary King. A Peculiar Thing. Ward Ritchie (1950). Bob Weinstein sketch
Parkes, Dow. Nidus, A Dramatic Poem in Three Voices. Ward Ritchie (1950).
Rittenhouse, Jack D. Dime Novels on Early Oil. Ward Ritchie (1951).
Cleland, Robert Glass. El Molino Viejo. Ward Ritchie (1951).
Jones, Louise Seymour. Human Side of Bookplates. Ward Ritchie (1951). Introduction by Lawrence Clark Powell
Powell, Lawrence Clark. Islands of Books. Ward Ritchie (1951).
Taylor, R R. Seeing the Elephant. Ward Ritchie (1951). Letters of R R Taylor Forty-Niner
Hyde, Laurence. Southern Cross. Ward Ritchie (1951). A Novel of the South Seas. Introduction by Rockwell Kent. Wood Engravings by Hyde.
Belding, Don. Letters of the Presidents of the United States. Ward Ritchie (1952).
Cunha, Felix. Medical Individualists and Their Books. Ward Ritchie (1952).
Robinson, William Wilcox. Beasts of the Tar Pits. Ward Ritchie (1953). Tales of Ancient America
Cowan, Robert Ernest. Booksellers in Early San Francisco. Ward Ritchie (1953).
Harrison, Benjamin S. Fortune Favors the Brave. Ward Ritchie (1953). The Life and Times of Horace Bell, Pioneer Californian
Nef, Elinor Castle. Letters and Notes. Ward Ritchie (1953).
Farquhar, Francis P. The Books of the Colorado River and Grand Canyon. Ward Ritchie (1953). A Selective Bibliography
Powell, Lawrence Clark. Alchemy of Books. Ward Ritchie (1954). And Other Essays and Addresses on Books and Writers
Rudolph, Richard. Chinese Printing Manual. Ward Ritchie (1954). Zamorano Club
Jeffers, Una and Robinson Jeffers. Visits to Ireland. Ward Ritchie (1954). Travel Diaries of Una Jeffers; wood engravings by Paul Landacre
Corle, Edwin. Fig Tree John. Ward Ritchie (1955). Illustrated by Don Perceval, Forward by Clark Powell
Newmark, Marco R. Jottings in Southern California History. Ward Ritchie (1955).
Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Beach of Falesa. Ward Ritchie (1956). Illustrated with paintings by Millard Sheets; Limited Editions Club
Powell, Lawrence Clark. Books West, Southwest. Ward Ritchie (1957). Essays on Writers, Their Books and Their Land
,. George White Marston. Ward Ritchie (1957). A Family Chronicle
Crowe, Earle. Man of El Tejon. Ward Ritchie (1957). Empire in the Tehachapis
Lucretius,. Of the Nature of Things. Ward Ritchie (1957). Translated into English verse by William Ellery Leonard with an Introduction by Charles E. Bennett and Illustrated with wood-engravings by Paul Landacre; Limited Editions Club
Shippey, Lee. Luckiest Man Alive. Ward Ritchie (1959).
London, Jack. The Call of the Wild. Ward Ritchie (1960). Illustrated by Henry Varnum Poor; Limited Editions Club
Vroman, Adam Clark. Photographer of the Southwest. Ward Ritchie (1961). 1856-1916. Ruth I Mahood editor
Padilla, Victoria. Southern California Gardens. Ward Ritchie (1961).
Ritchie, Ward. The Ward Ritchie Press and Anderson Ritchie Simon. Ward Ritchie (1961).
Corle, Edwin and Ansel Adams. Death Valley and the Creek Called Furnace. Ward Ritchie (1962).
Thomas Dye, John. Golden Leaves. Ward Ritchie (1962).
Bean, Lowell John and William Marvin Mason. The Romero Expeditions. Ward Ritchie (1962). In Arizona and California, 1823-1826
Robertson, Thomas A. A Southwest Utopia. Ward Ritchie (1964). Sketches by Cas Duchow
Robinson, W W. Tarnished Angels: Paradisiacal Turpitude in Los Angeles. Ward Ritchie (1964).
Atherton, Faxton. The California Diary of Faxon Dean Atherton. Ward Ritchie (1964). 1836-1839
Booth, George C and Cas Duchow. The Food and Drink of Mexico. Ward Ritchie (1964).
Leadabrand, Russ. The Westerner's Brand Book. Ward Ritchie (1964).
Dana, Richard Henry and Robert Weinstein. Two Years Before the Mast. Ward Ritchie (1964). A Personal Narrative of Life at Sea; Drawings by Robert Weinstein
Conrad, Joseph. The Nigger of the Narcissus. Ward Ritchie (1965). Illustrated by Millard Sheets; Limited Editions Club
Jeffers, Robinson. The Stone Mason of the House. Ward Ritchie (1966). Life and Work of Robinson Jeffers, Melba Berry Bennett, Forward by Lawrence Clark Powell
Rogers, Matildsa. Trees of the West. Ward Ritchie (1966).
Leadarbrand, Russell E. A Guidebook to the San Gabriel Mountain in California. Ward Ritchie (1967).
Lange, Dorothea. Dorothea Lange Looks at the American Country Woman. Ward Ritchie (1967). Commentary by Beaumont Newhall
White, Charles. Images of Dignity. Ward Ritchie (1967). The Drawings of Charles White; Forward by Harry Belafonte; Introduction by James Porter; Commentary by Benjamin Horowitz
Lick, Rosemary, Richard Dillon, C D Shane. The Generous Miser. Ward Ritchie (1967). The Story of James Lick of California
Weber, Francis. A Bibliography of California Bibliographies. Ward Ritchie (1968). Introduction by Doyce B. Nunis
MacFarlan, Alan. American Indian Legends. Ward Ritchie (1968). Illustrated by Everett Gee Jackson; Limited Editions Club
Powell, Lawrence Clark. Bookman's Progress. Ward Ritchie (1968). The Selected Writings of Lawrence Clark Powell
,. Orange County History Series. Ward Ritchie (1968).
Lyle, Jack. The Black American and the Press. Ward Ritchie (1968).
Freundlich, August L. William Gropper: Retrospective. Ward Ritchie (1968).
Balzer, Robert Lawrence. Adventures in Wine. Ward Ritchie (1969). Legends History Recipes
Evlanoff, Michael and Marjorie Flour. Alfred Nobel: The Loneliest Millionaire. Ward Ritchie (1969).
De Grazia, Ted. Father Junipero Serra. Ward Ritchie (1969). Sketches of His Life in California by DeGrazia
Outland, Charles F. Mines, Murders and Grizzlies. Ward Ritchie (1969). Tales of California's Ventura Back Country
Leadabrand, Russell E. Secrets of Drake's Bay. Ward Ritchie (1969). Illustrated by Don Perceval
Edwards, Elza Ivan. The Enduring Desert. Ward Ritchie (1969). A Descriptive Bibliography
Mac Mullen,. They Came By Sea. Ward Ritchie (1969).
Belous, Russell E and Robert A Weinstein. Will Soule. Ward Ritchie (1969). Indian Photographer at Fort Sill, Oklahoma 1869-74
Edwards, Malcolm. The California Diary of General E D Townsend. Ward Ritchie (1970).
Hicks, Jimmy. W W Robinson, A Biography and a Bibliography. Ward Ritchie (1970). Lawrence Clark Powell
Kent, Rockwell. Wilderness - A Journal of Quiet Adventures in Alaska. Ward Ritchie (1970). Including hitherto Unpublished Passages from the Original Journal
Powell, Lawrence Clark. California Classics. Ward Ritchie (1971). Creative Literature of the Golden State
Haskell, Barbara. Claes Oldenburg: Object Into Monument. Ward Ritchie (1971).
Henry, William Mellors. Behind the Headlines Will Bill Henry. Ward Ritchie (1972).
Lockwood, Marjorie Kelly. Ladybug or Ladybird, Are They the Same. Ward Ritchie (1972).
Conrad, Joseph. Youth - Typhoon - The End of the Tether. Ward Ritchie (1972). Three Tales of the Sea; Limited Editions Club; Illustrated by Robert Shore
Kemble, John Haskell. A Naval Campaign in the Californias - 1846-1849. Ward Ritchie (1973). The Journal of Tunis Augustus Macdonough Craven, U.S.N. United States Sloop of War, Dale.
Pagano, Jo. Denise. Ward Ritchie (1973).
Ahrens, M D and Carlyle L. Dream Odyssey. Ward Ritchie (1973).
Nunis, Doyce B. Los Angeles and Its Environs in the Twentieth Century. Ward Ritchie (1973). A Bibliography of a Metropolis Compiled Under the Auspices of the Metropolitan History Project
Huntsinger, Fritz. My Love Affair With the USA. Ward Ritchie (1973).
Haskins, Ann. Eat: A Toothsome Tour of Los Angeles' Specialty Restaurants. Ward Ritchie (1974).
Camphouse, Marjorie. Guidebook to the Missions of California. Ward Ritchie (1974). Photographs by Rochelle Robinson
Baron, Ron. Mystery of Love and Other Optical Illusions. Ward Ritchie (1974).
Powell, Lawrence Clark. Southwest Classics. Ward Ritchie (1974). The Creative Literature of the Arid Lands Essays on the Books and Their Writers
Flanagan, Sue. Trailing the Longhorns: A Century Later. Ward Ritchie (1974). Designed by
Malloy, Merrit. My Song for Him Who Never Sang to Me. Ward Ritchie (1975).
Fast, Howard. Time and the Riddle: Thirty-One Zen Stories. Ward Ritchie (1975). Foreward by Louis Untermeyer, Introduction by Frank Campenni
Smith, Jack. Big Orange. Ward Ritchie (1976).
Rossi, John. Hard Cores Don't Come from Apples. Ward Ritchie (1976).
Murray, Ken. The Body Merchant. Ward Ritchie (1976). The Story of Earl Carroll
Beilharz, Edwin A. and Carol U Lopez. We Were 49ers!. Ward Ritchie (1976). Chilean Accounts of the Californian Gold Rush`
Bloch, Walter. The Angel. Ward Ritchie (1977).
Champlin, Charles. The Flicks or Whatever Became of Andy Hardy?. Ward Ritchie (1977).
Corwin, Norman. Network at Fifty. Ward Ritchie (1979).
Powell, Lawrence Clark. El Morro. Ward Ritchie (1984).
Apostol, Jane. South Pasadena: A Centennial History. Ward Ritchie (1987). 1888-1988
Ritchie, Ward. Laguna Verde Imprenta 1975-1987. Ward Ritchie (1988).
Jeffers, Una and Ward Ritchie. A Book of Gaelic Airs for Una's Melodrama. Ward Ritchie (1989).
Ritchie, Ward. Variations and Quotations. Ward Ritchie (1990).