Life of Joaquin Murieta
Notes by Francis P. Farquhar, editor
Preface to the series by Douglas S. Watson
1932 First Series, Number One
Crime has always been a subject of great public interest. The villainous deeds of Joaquin Murieta, "the brigand chief of California," were recounted so may times (at least 20 accounts are noted in the back of Joaquin) that it is impossible to distinguish fact from fiction. This version, derived from the California Police Gazette (1859), "a weekly chronicle of crime," is a particularly good one. The text is set in Scotch Roman in two columns. The illustrations are by Charles Nahl, a popular book illustrator of the time. Note the degree of difficulty in setting the type "Brigand Chief of California." The "shoot-'em-up" series of dingbats, used above, appeared first in the running heads of this book—composed, no doubt, on the spot to fit.
The Diary of Johann August Sutter
Introduction by Douglas Watson
1932 First Series, Number Two
The great California gold rush was touched off by the discovery of gold at Sutter's sawmill at Coloma in 1848, changing forever the face of California and the nation. Sutter too was changed: In 1848 he had the whole world at his doorstep; in 1880 he died in a boarding house in Washington, D.C., a poor and broken man. This diary, written in 1856, tells of his fortunes and adversities. The Grabhorns used Centaur and Arrighi, combined brilliantly with Dutch initials, Goudy Text, and a simple roman for annotation.
John Bradford's Notes on Kentucky
Compiled by G.W. Stipp in 1827
Edited by Douglas S. Watson
Illustrations by Arvilla Parker
1932 First Series, Number Three
When named by the third Kentucky convention as the state's first printer, John Bradford (1749-1830) had no previous experience in the printing arts. Despite initial disappointments he went on to become a good printer and a top-notch journalist and historian. From John Wilson Townsend's Introduction: "John Bradford painted the most perfect picture of pioneer Kentucky that has ever been done or ever will be."
The Captivity of the Oatman Girls
By R. B. Stratton
Introduction by Lindley Bynum
1935 Third Series, Number Two
The fate of the Oatman family on their sojourn West is an intensely gruesome story that leaves the reader hanging on every page, and, ultimately, sick at heart. Even that joyful day when Lorenzo and Olive are finally reunited seems but a sad curiosity in the context of the whole horrible ordeal. It is contrasted by one simple, final annotation: "She (Olive) lived for a time in San Francisco and is reported to have died in an insane asylum in New York, before or during the year 1877." The wood engravings for the book are by Mallette Dean. The text is set in van Krimpen's Lutetia. The typeface for "LIFE" is not really a typeface, rather a design invented by Ed Grabhorn out of rules.
Wah-to-Yah and the Taos Trail
By Lewis H. Garrard
Introduction by Carl I. Wheat
Linoleum cuts by Mallette Dean
1936 Third Series, Number Three
In his Biography of the Grabhorn Press, Roby Wentz writes about Wah-to-Yah and the Taos Trail: "...one of the greatest of all Grabhorn books, one the brothers named among their dozen favorites." This book demonstrates an exquisite selection and combination of paper, types, and most importantly, a brilliant use of color in the illustrations. The typeface, Franciscan, was designed by Frederic Goudy for exclusive use by the Grabhorn Press. Franciscan was a re-design of Goudy's earlier Aries face.