The Gehenna Press

The Gehenna Press
Founded1942
FounderLeonard Baskin
Country of originUnited States
Headquarters locationNorthampton, MA
Publication typesOne of America's earliest and longest-lived limited edition fine arts presses
Nonfiction topicsarts, literature, poetry, the humanities, philosophy, the natural sciences and classic literature

The Gehenna Press was one of the earliest limited edition fine arts presses in the United States.[1] Established in 1942 by sculptor and graphic artist Leonard Baskin (1922-2000) while still a student at Yale, the award-winning press went on to publish approximately 200 books in nearly 60 years, finally ceasing operation shortly after Baskin's death in 2000, which also makes it one of the longest-lived small presses in the U.S.[2] The Press is known for its imaginative printing, use of type, binding and book illustration, as well as its collaborative work with several key 20th-century poets, including the United Kingdom's Poet Laureate Ted Hughes, Sylvia Plath and, posthumously, James Baldwin.[2][3] Over the years, the Gehenna's work was widely exhibited in both museums and library collections, and its books are in public collections both in the U.S. and abroad. In 1995, Baskin and his work with the Press were recognized by the Library of Congress with a solo retrospective, the first for a living artist in its history."[4][5]

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  4. ^ "New Exhibitions at the Library of Congress (July 13, 1994) - Library of Congress Information Bulletin". Library of Congress Information Bulletin. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  5. ^ "Gehenna Press Printwork • Leonard Baskin • R. Michelson Galleries". R. Michelson Galleries: Leonard Baskin: Gehenna Press Printwork. Retrieved May 28, 2020.