The Southworth-Anthoeson Press rightly deserves its unique, if small, place in history of the private press. This private press actually refers to a period of but a few years during the transition between the Southworth Press and the Anthoenson Press, during which time the new director, Fred Anthoeson can be seen to be starting to make choices in book design as well as choice of titles. This period is also just about as far back as most collectors have been able to trace this reputable little private press.
Originally started as a religious and evangelical press by reverend Southworth of Maine, the press was almost entirely given over to small, moral pamphlets and later tales and fables of the high seas, often with a strong Christian message. The later director and most famous leading man of the Press, Fred Anthoenson was a Dutch apprentice who learned his trade at the Southworth Press, before purchasing the Press himself and expanding its clients to include the local Free Library and private business folk of the nearby towns. The Southworth-Anthoenson Press came into being in 1934 but by 1944 had dropped the Southworth part and had become known purely as the Anthoenson Press.
For collectors, the best volumes to consider are the ones of this early transitional period, which show a high degree of cross over from the overtly religious material towards the more commercial volumes. We can consider the still quite freely available catalog of types, fonts and design presented by the Press as one of the most comprehensive, charting the journey of this remarkable little company on the cusp of modernity. These volumes are still quite inexpensive, as well as fairly collectible for the right bibliophile with an interest in the history of the private press movement.
Links: http://usm.maine.edu/library/specialcollections/anthoensen-press
Dwiggins, W A. Gargantua and Pantagruel. Southworth Anthoensen (1935). The Five Books; Limited Editions Club
Klinefelter, Walter. Christmas Books. Southworth Anthoensen (1936). Bibliographical Checklist
Allen, Frederick Lewis. Early American Rooms. Southworth Anthoensen (1936). 1650-1858 A Consideration of the Changes in Style between the Arrival of the Mayflower and the Civil War in the Regions Originally Settled by the English and the Dutch
Van Winkle, William Mitchell. Henry William Herbert (Frank Forester). Southworth Anthoensen (1936). A Bibliography of his Writings 1832-1858
Kipling, Rudyard. Letters to Rudyard Kipling. Southworth Anthoensen (1936).
Thrasher, Harriet F. The Clan Chisholm and Allied Clans. Southworth Anthoensen (1936).
,. A Specimen of Printing Types. Southworth Anthoensen (1937). Together with a Collection of Printer's Flowers
Rowe, William Hutchinson. Ancient North Yarmouth and Yarmouth Maine. Southworth Anthoensen (1937). 1636-1936 A History
Wroth, Lawrence C. The Way of a Ship. Southworth Anthoensen (1937). An Essay on the Literature of Navigation Science
Currier, Ernest M. Marks of Early American Silversmiths. Southworth Anthoensen (1938). with Notes on Silver, Spoon Types, and List of New York City Silversmiths 1815-1841
Caswell, Mina Holway. Ministry of Music. Southworth Anthoensen (1938). The Life of William Rogers Chapman
Wroth, Lawrence C. The Colonial Printer. Southworth Anthoensen (1938).
Rice, George Wharton. The Shipping Days of Old Boothbay. Southworth Anthoensen (1938). From the Revolution to the World War With Mention of Adjacent Towns.
Wharton, Edith. Ethan Frome. Southworth Anthoensen (1939). Drawings by Henry Varnum Poor; Limited Editions Club
Anthoensen, Fred. John Bell Type. Southworth Anthoensen (1939). Its Loss and Rediscovery
Anthoensen, Fred. The Art of Cutting, Casting, and Preparing of Letter for Printing. Southworth Anthoensen (1939). With a Neat Representation of a Letter-Founder's Work-House
Rumball Petre, A R. Americas First Bibles. Southworth Anthoensen (1940). With A Census of 555 Extant Bibles
Clarke, Hermann. John Hull A Builder of the Bay Colony. Southworth Anthoensen (1940).
Kimball, Fiske. Mr. Samuel McIntire, Carver. Southworth Anthoensen (1940). The Architect of Salem
Lehmann Haupt, Hellmut. Bookbinding in America. Southworth Anthoensen (1941). Three Essays. Early American Bookbinding by Hand by Hannah Dustin French (of Wellesley College Library), The Rise of American Edition Binding by Joseph W. Rogers (of The Library of Congress), On the Rebinding of Old Books by Hellmut Lehmann-Haupt.
Stevens, Edward. Three Letters from BR EW. Southworth Anthoensen (1941). Bruce Rogers; Emery Walker
Chase, Fannie S. Wiscasset in Pownalborough. Southworth Anthoensen (1941).
Fay, Charles Edey. Mary Celeste. Southworth Anthoensen (1942). The Odyssey of an Abandoned Ship; Peabody Museum
Ranlett, Charles Everett. Master Mariner of Maine. Southworth Anthoensen (1942). Being the Reminiscences of Charles Everett Ranlett, 1816-1917
Weber, Carl. Thomas Hardy in Maine. Southworth Anthoensen (1942).
Anthoensen, Fred. Types and Bookmaking. Southworth Anthoensen (1943). Containing Notes on the Books Printed at the Southworth-Anthoensen Press, and a Bibliographical Catalogue, With Specimens of Its Work, Types, Borders, etc; Ruth Chaplin
Nichols, Charles J. James Nichols (Nickels) of Searsport. Southworth Anthoensen (1944). And His Descendants 1733-1943
Eckstorm, Fannie Hardy. Old John Neptune. Southworth Anthoensen (1945). And Other Maine Indian Shamans
Sexton, Eric H L. Irish Figure Sculptures of the Early Christian Period. Southworth Anthoensen (1946). With A Critical Assessment of their Significance