Scope and Content Note
The archive of Walter Hamady (1940-2019) span the years 1895-2019, with the bulk of material dating from 1965 to 2019. The collection documents Hamady’s career as an artist, bookmaker, professor and owner of the Perishable Press Limited and Shadwell Paper Mill, and also includes his personal papers, which document his creative process and relationships with family, students and other artists. The collection is organized into seven series: Unbroken Correspondence; Biographical Materials: Professional Files; Journals and Calendars; Printed Material; Artwork; and Oversized and Realia. Restricted items are present throughout the collection and are noted in the finding aid.
The collection documents Hamady’s work and includes material related his collaboration with artists such as Wayne Thiebaud and John Wilde and his correspondence with writers and poets including Paul Blackburn and Denise Levertov. In addition to its paper materials, the collection contains a large amount of items and equipment related to bookmaking, including paper moulds, printing plates, typeface, rubberstamps, and books from each part of the creative process, from concept through proofs, to finalized work. The collection includes a full run of Perishable Press, Limited publications, including Hamady’s Gabberjab series. Each book was annotated by Hamady.
The collection’s series are listed and briefly described below. A fuller description of each series and a list of its contents can be accessed in the series descriptions within the container list.
Series 1, Unbroken Correspondence, contains Hamady’s personal and professional correspondence and is arranged alphabetically by individual or group name.
Series 2, Biographical Materials, consists of materials related to Hamady’s childhood, family history and personal life. This series includes family photographs, slides, negatives, contact sheets, realia and correspondence.
Series 3, Professional Files, consists of Hamady’s work materials and includes items from the Perishable Press Limited, the Shadwell Papermill and his work as a professor of book arts at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Materials include illustrations (by Hamady and others), drafts, dummy copies, printing plates, reference materials and paper samples.
Series 4, Journals and Calendars, consists of Hamady’s annotated wall calendars, almanacs and personal journals spanning 1963-2012.
Series 5, Printed Material, contains the contents of Hamady’s secretary, as well as his library of books, many of which are annotated.
Series 6, Artwork and Prints, contains work done by Hamady, as well as friends, students and collaborators. This series contains original artwork.
Series 7, Oversized and Realia, consists of both personal and professional material, and includes tools for bookmaking, items from the Perishable Press Limited shop space and items from Hamady’s youth.