May 17, 1900: Happy Birthday Robert Grabhorn!




Robert Grabhorn Birthday Broadside, 1962, Grabhorn Ephemera collection 
 Book Arts & Special Collections

May 17th was Robert Grabhorn's birthday. To commemorate the day, here's a peek at what might be my favorite piece of ephemera from the Grabhorn Collection. It's a birthday broadside, printed by the Grace Hoper Press, for his 62nd birthday, complete with three dimensional elements. If you look closely, you'll see the bills in his right hand and the "catalogue of rare & expensive type books" in his left. Was the one going to finance the other? And isn't the cat an especially nice touch? But the birthday-boy doesn't look very happy, does he? Neither does the cat for that matter.

Robert Grabhorn Birthday Broadside detail, 1962, Grabhorn Ephemera collection
Book Arts & Special Collections

Above is a detail of the tiny 3-D Catalogue of Rare & Expensive Type Books which Robert is holding in his left hand. Inside, perhaps there is a list of all of their fine publications...


Robert Grabhorn Birthday Broadside detail, 1962, Grabhorn Ephemera collection
Book Arts & Special Collections

Above, is a detail of some of his bills from I. Magnin, The White House, and a drugstore, which he is holding in his right hand.


Robert Grabhorn Birthday Broadside detail, 1962, Grabhorn Ephemera collection
Book Arts & Special Collections

At the bottom, a detail of the Grace Hoper Press's printer's mark. The design was inspired by the James Joyce story The Ondt & the GraceHoper and a Native American design found in a New Mexican wood block cutter's book. Apparently Robert and Jane enjoyed reading Joyce aloud. What a terrific birthday card.

If you want to read more about Robert Grabhorn, you might be interested in the oral history which Ruth Teiser did with him. Here is the link to Teiser's interview with Sherwood and Katharine Grover about the Grabhorn and Grace Hoper presses. And here is a link to Alastair Johnston's article on Robert's personal library, which forms the core of our Grabhorn Collection: reading it would be a great way to acknowledge the day and to learn more about this library collection.



Jane and Robert Grabhorn, Vertical Files, Book Arts & Special Collections

Above, is a photo of Robert and Jane looking quite happy and surrounded by work in the shop. 
Happy Birthday Bob!

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