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A Showing of Weimaranar

By William Wegman

1997
Black linen and velvet portfolio

Specimens of letters, numbers and punctuation
of an original and extraordinary letterform.

Assisted by the beautiful Fay Ray,
Her lovely daughters Battina and Crooky,
And her noble son Chundo,
Heirs to the fame of Man Ray, the dog.

A rare edition limited to one hundred portfolios, only 80 of which are for sale. Each of them contains a message from the artist and three signed photogravure prints never before seen: 1. Weimaraner Letters 2. Weimaraner Numbers 3. Weimaraner Punctuation.

The copper plates are all hand-wiped and hand-printed on handcrafted paper made especially for the edition at the Cardinal Mill, Moravia, with the text printed letterpress.

In the tradition of the great and historically revered designers of type – Aldus Manutius, William Caslon, and Giambattista Bodoni -- Weimaraner by William Wegman is destined to provoke, to amuse and to in-spire those who recognize type as a cornerstone of communication, learning and intellectual achievement.

Raised in Western Massachusetts, William Wegman received a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art in 1965 and an MFA from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana in 1967. His paintings and drawings have been widely exhibited, but it was in California in 1970 that his meeting with Man Ray (the dog, not the artist) initiated a photographic collaboration that has become historic. The relationship between Wegman and Weimaraner set the stage for a great body of work seen in museums throughout the world.

The Weimaraner was originally bred as a hunter with established roots that date to before the crusades. Descended from German bloodhounds and St. Hubert hounds, the weimaraner was a recognized breed as early as the 19th century with it's distinguishing gray color and blue-gray or opal eyes. Obsessively nurtured as a hunting dog in Weimar, it adapted easily to changing times. Today's weimaraner does not respond well to kennel life. It is a dog that likes the warmth of a home and the companionship of people.

The Wegman breakthrough with the Weimaraner Letterform is a grand achievement, a brilliant exhibit that exists to be appreciated for its aesthetic value– to be savored and enjoyed as a typographic fantasy. Thornwillow press is pleased to offer you this most unusual display of type as art.

Each portfolio contains three hand-printed photogravures showing Mr. Wegman's letters, numbers and punctuation. Every print is numbered and signed by the artist and is printed on hand-crafted paper made especially for this edition at the Cardinal Mill in Moravia. The prints are accompanied by a statement from the artist printed letterpress on the same paper as the prints, and are presented in a linen and velvet-lined traycase. The edition is limited to one hundred copies of which only 80 are for sale.