“Frederic Goudy & the Village Press” The Kalo Foundation - Sunday, March 10th, 2019

Rex’s talk drew a standing-room-only crowd at The Kalo Foundation of Park Ridge, just a few blocks away from the home where Frederic and Bertha Goudy founded the legendary Village Press. The Kalo Foundation has taken a leading role in advancing the remarkable artitic history of Frederic W. Goudy, a world-renowned member of the “Park Ridge Art Colony” through education, advocacy, and preservation.

For the 115th Anniversary of Goudy’s Village Press, Rex was delighted to have a conversation about the artistry and craftsmanship of The Village Press, founded in 1903 by Frederic W. Goudy in Park Ridge, Illinois. The Village Press was modeled on the ideals of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement. The first publication of The Village Press was the William Morris and Emery Walker essay, Printing; its Arts & Craft Impressions went on to win acclaim at the 1904 World Exhibition.

In 1903, Village typeface was cast - the handsome, hand-forged “Arts & Crafts” font designed by Frederic W. Goudy for the Village Press. It was Goudy’s international reputation for type design that made this private press so extraordinary.