Lawton Kennedy, San Francisco Printer

Printer Lawton R. Kennedy (1900-1980) worked in the San Francisco Bay Area for his entire career. Considered one of the best letterpress pressmen in America for decades, Kennedy’s work is forward-thinking, and he was known for embracing technological innovation while maintaining a high level of craftsmanship. After beginning his career printing church bulletins for his father, Kennedy grew to be in high demand for trade presswork, working for well-known Bay Area printers such as John Henry Nash, Johnck & Seeger, Jane Grabhorn's Colt Press, and Albert Sperisen's Black Vine Press. In 1933, Kennedy went on to print over 200 works of limited edition books and other high quality printing bearing his own name, briefly collaborating with his brother Alfred, and later his son of the same name. Most of Kennedy’s books were designed in the “English revival” tradition; this can be seen through the distinct typography, and the inclusion of wood and linoleum prints to compliment text.

Kennedy is an important fixture in printing history because he embraced printing technology as an ever-changing thing; this opinion is in strong contrast to other notable printers of his time, who valued the tradition of centuries-old printing techniques and materials. Kennedy’s support of new processes, new materials, economically sound procedures, and the superiority of the cylinder press make him an important source of information on the progression of printing technology during the 20^th century and its sociological implications.

Regarding the advancements of printing technology in his lifetime, Kennedy was not one to cultivate nostalgia. As to automation he said, “It’s been going on since the beginning of time, since the first man drove a plow down a furrow and displaced dozens of men with hoes,” noting that the advancements began with the invention of movable type.(Lawton Kennedy, printer, page 34)

The UW-Milwaukee Special Collections has a notable number of books printed by Lawton Kennedy, some in collaboration with his brother and son, many of them donated by John S. Best. Featured in this exhibit are a selection of the publications that highlight the contributions Lawton and the Kennedys made to the American printing industry.