The Definitive Dwiggins no. 210 addendum no. 1—A mark for The Printing House of William Edwin Rudge

William Edwin Rudge press mark (center) from the title page of Art by the Way by Timothy Cole (New York: William Edwin Rudge, 1925). Design by Bruce Rogers between 1923 and 1925.

In my second post on 22 Printers’ Marks and Seals Designed or Redrawn by W.A. Dwiggins (New York: William Edwin Rudge, 1929) I quibbled over the number of marks included in the book, pointing out that there were two for The Cygnet Press. In fact there are two other marks in the book, both on the title page: one for Dwiggins himself (WAD) and one for the publisher (WER).

William Edwin Rudge mark (1928). Design by W.A. Dwiggins. From the title page of 22 Printers’ Marks and Seals Designed or Redrawn by W.A. Dwiggins (New York: William Edwin Rudge, 1929).

Although Bruce Rogers (1870–1957) had drawn one or more marks for The Printing House of William Edwin Rudge between 1923 and 1925, they seem to have been sporadically used. [1] (The one at the top of this post is the only one I was able to find on a search of Rudge books on Hathitrust.) Thus, Dwiggins’ decision to make his own Rudge mark for the title page of 22 Printers’ Marks and Seals was not out of the ordinary. [2]

It seems likely that Dwiggins eschewed the Rogers mark more because it conflicted visually with his title page design than because he wanted to slip an extra mark into the book. In his first design of the title page (shown in The Definitive Dwiggins no. 209) the mark is a simple Art Deco-style WER monogram. On the printed book Dwiggins placed the monogram within a cartouche marked by a hairline border.

William Edwin Rudge mark (1930). Design, lettering and decoration by W.A. Dwiggins. From the title page of Form Letters: Illustrator to Author by W.A. Dwiggins (New York: William Edwin Rudge, 1930).

The title page of Form Letters: Illustrator to Author by W.A. Dwiggins (New York: William Edwin Rudge, 1930) has an elaborate variant of the Art Deco monogram. The letters are lighter in weight and an ornamental frame—resembling a leaf or pod—has replaced the hairline cartouche.

W.A. Dwiggins personal mark (1929). Design by W.A. Dwiggins. From the title page of 22 Printers’ Marks and Seals Designed or Redrawn by W.A. Dwiggins (New York: William Edwin Rudge, 1929).

The WAD monogram on the title page of 22 Printers’ Marks and Seals is the first instance I have found of Dwiggins using a mark of any kind. He had been signing his correspondence on a regular basis “WAD”since late 1917 and signing his work on a regular basis in the same way the end of 1908. [3] Sometime in 1928 Dwiggins began to use a stylized monogram as part of his stencil designs. It appears to be a stencil itself. [4]

The WAD mark on the title page of 22 Printers’ Marks and Seals seems to be an effort to brand himself. That Dwiggins became widely known as WAD in the latter half of his career—and posthumously—is proof that he succeeded. [5]

The colophon of 22 Printers’ Marks and Seals contains a vignette of a detail of the Rudge printing plant in Mt. Vernon, New York. Although it is not a printer’s mark, it functions as one here. Dwiggins apparently made the drawing based on a 1926 photograph of the building taken by George M. Bartlett, the architect for its renovation. [6]

Vignette of detail of The Printing House of William Edwin Rudge’s manufacturing plant in Mt. Vernon, New York. Illustration by W.A. Dwiggins. Taken from the colophon of 22 Printers’ Marks and Seals Designed or Redrawn by W.A. Dwiggins (New York: Willaim Edwin Rudge, 1929).

Notes
1. Three other variants of this mark by Rogers are shown on the hammercreek.org website devoted to John Fass’ archives.
2. For instance, Dwiggins placed a stencil ornament on the title page of America Conquers Death by Milton Waldman (New York: William E. Rudge, 1928) where the mark would have been. Similarly, the title page of The Legend of the Hounds by George Henry Boker (New York: William Edwin Rudge, 1929) is entirely handlettered with a vignette of hounds but no press mark.
3. Dwiggins toyed with his initials as a child, but in his early years he signed his correspondence and his work in many ways. The latter included “WD” and, most often just “D”. The fascinating subject of how Dwiggins represented himself personally and professionally will be explored in another post.
4. See several of the decorative designs that Dwiggins created for the portfolio of Warren’s Standard Printing Papers in 1928. Along with the chunky monogram (e.g. Warren’s Photo Enamel) that appears elsewhere in his work, there is also a lighter version in the portfolio (e.g. Warren’s Cameo).

Ornament from Warren’s Cameo sheet in Warren’s Standard Printing Papers portfolio (Boston: S.D. Warren Co., 1928). Design by W.A. Dwiggins.

Ornament from Warren’s Photo Enamel sheet in Warren’s Standard Printing Papers portfolio (Boston: S.D. Warren Co., 1928). Design by W.A. Dwiggins.

5. The earliest instance of Dwiggins as WAD is Concerning a Book about W.A.D., a prospectus from The Southworth Press (Portland, Maine) for a planned book on his work. The book, which never came to fruition, was announced in 1931.
6. The photograph is one of a set reproduced in The American Architect (September 20, 1926). See St. Croix Architecture.