George Macy

George Macy (1900-1956) was an American publisher.

Career

George Macy was born in New York City in 1900.

In 1929, he founded the Limited Editions Club, publishing finely illustrated books that were limited to 1500 copies and signed by the author or artist.[1][2] By setting up a subscription service, Macy was able to work with a larger budget for subscribers. Artists contracted to illustrate books were given a lot of freedom and budget, but also sometimes lost his gambles.[3] Books printed between 1925 and World War II were primarily designed by John Fass.[1] The 1935 publication of James Joyce’s Ulysses was illustrated with line drawings by Henri Matisse, which are almost unrelated to the text.[4]

In 1935, he expanded his publishing with The Heritage Press.[5] Macy worked that year with Nonesuch Press to rescue it from its financial difficulties. The first project was with the complete works of Charles Dickens in 1938.[6]

Macy became a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor after a 1948 display of his work. In 1952, the British Library held an exhibit of his work.[3] He won the AIGA medal for his work as a publisher in 1953.[7]

After Macy’s death from cancer in 1956, his wife, Helen Macy, continued the work of Heritage Press until 1968 when their son became head of the company.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 Burke, Jackson; Ettenberg, Eugene M. (1998-01-01). John S. Fass & the Hammer Creek Press. David R. Godine Publisher. ISBN 9781567920864.
  2. ↑ Bruckner, D. j r (1982-04-12). "LIMITED EDITIONS CLUB, ILLUSTRATION OF A COMEBACK". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
  3. 1 2 Grossman, Carol (March 1999). "East Side Story: Two Faces of the Limited Editions Club" (PDF). BIBLO. Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  4. ↑ "The Double Image of Modernism: Matisse's Etchings for "Ulysses" on JSTOR". JSTOR 1208252.
  5. 1 2 Inc., George Macy Companies,. "George Macy Companies, Inc.: Limited Editions Club and The Heritage Press: A Preliminary Inventory of its Art Collection at the Harry Ransom Center". www.lib.utexas.edu. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
  6. ↑ Hansen, Thomas (2005-01-01). Classic Book Jackets: The Design Legacy of George Salter. Princeton Architectural Press. ISBN 9781568984919.
  7. ↑ "TV Shows and Movies - Watch Your Favorite TV Episodes and Movies Online | Hulu". Hulu. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
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