Philobiblon. The Book Club of California, 1925.

Richard de Bury.Philobiblon.
San Francisco: The Book Club of California, 1925.
(BKRT) (FOL) Z992 .A91 1925b
Special Collections, UWM Libraries

This book is a collection of essays on the preservation and organization of books, written by the medieval bibliophile Richard de Bury in 1345 and translated from Latin into English. Printed by Lawton’s brother Alfred Kennedy, illustrations by Donald McKay are included.

The Kennedys had an interest in the private-press and English revival tradition of the 1890’s, which can be seen as a visual influence in Philobiblon, as can a thorough knowledge of the history of early typography. Lawton and Alfred were familiar with the work of modernists such as Jan Tschichold and Imre Reiner. They admired their work, while still often working in traditional printing styles. The Kennedys had an all-around fascination with the printing profession, a respect for typographical history, and an interest in innovations in the craft; this allowed the brothers, especially Lawton, to succeed not only as pressmen but as voices at the forefront of the print industry.