Larkspur Press records

Abstract

The Larkspur Press records (dated 1973-2000; 7.3 cubic feet; 8 boxes) primarily comprise press proofs, broadsides, commercial work, correspondence, and manuscripts created between 1973 and 2003 that document publications of The Larkspur Press, a small letterpress publisher operated by Gray Zeitz that is based in Monterey, Kentucky.

Descriptive Summary

Title
Larkspur Press records
Date
1973-2003 (inclusive)
Extent
7.3 Cubic Feet
Subjects
Appalachian authors
Appalachian Region -- Poetry.
Authors, American -- Kentucky.
Poetry -- Authorship -- Kentucky.
Printing -- Kentucky -- History.
Printing presses
Proofs (Printing)
Small business -- Kentucky
Women authors, American -- Kentucky -- Lexington
Whitesel, Carolyn
Arrangement
Collection is arranged chronologically.
Finding Aid Author
Christopher J. Mattingly
Preferred Citation
2021ms055 : [identification of item], Larkspur Press Records, 1971-2000, University of Kentucky Special Libraries Collections Research Center.
Repository
University of Kentucky

Collection Overview

Biography / History
The Larkspur Press is a small letterpress publisher based in Monterey, Kentucky, established by Gray Zeitz in 1974. Zeitz was born in 1950 in Mobile, Alabama, and was raised in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. He established the Monterey Volunteer Fire Department where he volunteered for twenty-three years, and was the Monterey city clerk for ten years. Zeitz discovered letterpress printing as a student apprentice to Carolyn Hammer at the University of Kentucky King Library Press. The Larkspur Press focuses on the elegant presentation of works written by Kentucky authors. Over the years the press has worked with Guy Davenport, Bobbie Ann Mason, Wendell Barry, and James Baker Hall among many others. Because of his work in printing, publication, and promotion Gray Zeitz is held as a major contributor to the literary arts scene in Kentucky. Carolyn Whitesel, an associate of the press, is responsible for much of the artwork and book binding. Books, broadsides, and other print media produced by the Larkspur Press can be found for sale today in many Kentucky bookstores.
Scope and Content
The Larkspur Press records (dated 1973-2000; 7.3 cubic feet; 8 boxes) primarily comprise press proofs, broadsides, commercial work, correspondence, and manuscripts created between 1973 and 2003 that document publications and business of The Larkspur Press, a small letterpress publisher operated by Gray Zeitz that is based in Monterey, Kentucky. Literary project files contain a mix of correspondence, design drawings, proofs, corrected proofs, announcements, and invitations to readings related to literary projects. Files are organized chronologically by project. The series of portfolio binders showcase a variety of small printing projects such as wedding invitations, business cards, envelopes, announcements, and small broadsides. The items have been removed from their three-ring binders and placed in original order in folders. The types of materials and dates often overlap in this series, but original order as they appeared in the binders has been maintained.

Restrictions on Access and Use

Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open to researchers by appointment
Use Restrictions
The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center.

Contents of the Collection

Project files, 1974-2000

Zeitz, Gray. The Bluegrass Book, 1974

  • Box 1, folder 1
To top

Berry, Wendell. Horses, 1975-1976

  • Box 1, folder 2
To top

Hall, James Baker. Getting it on up to the Brag, 1975-1976

  • Box 1, folder 3-4
To top

Taylor, Richard. Cloud Bumping: A Collection of Poems by Students in Kentucky Schools, 1974-1977

  • Box 1, folder 5
To top

Berry, Wendell. January / nineteen seventy-five broadside, 1975-1998

  • Box 1, folder 6
To top

Feraca, Jean Stephanie. Assorted Poems, 1975

  • Box 1, folder 7
To top

Zeitz, Gray. Finger Ridge, 1977

  • Box 1, folder 8
To top

Gash, James. Cabin Tantra, 1977

  • Box 1, folder 9
To top

Williams, Jonathan. A Blue Ridge Weather Prophet Makes Twelve Stitches in Time on the Twelfth Day of Christmas, 1976-1977

  • Box 1, folder 10
To top

Richards, Susan. Horse Fables, 1976-1984

  • Box 1, folder 11
To top

Sanfield, Steve. The Confounding, 1979-1980

  • Box 1, folder 12
To top

Still, James and Sherburne, James. Common Ground, 1982

  • Box 1, folder 13
To top

Zeitz, Gray. In Defense of the Rat, 1983

  • Box 1, folder 14
To top

Mason, Bobbie Ann. Landscapes, 1982-1984

  • Box 1, folder 15
To top

Davenport, Guy. The Medusa, 1984-1985

  • Box 1, folder 16
To top

Hass, Robert. New American Poets of the Golden Gate, 1984-1985

  • Box 1, folder 17
To top

Taylor, Richard. Motorcycle, 1984

  • Box 1, folder 18
To top

Seitz, Ron. The Gethesmani Poems

  • Box 1, folder 19
To top

Urie, Tony. The Existential Cowboy, 1985

  • Box 1, folder 20
To top

Frankfort Arts Foundation. Invitations, proofs, manuscripts, 1983-1986

  • Box 1, folder 21
To top

Holbrook, Raymond P. Memos to my Wife, 1984

  • Box 1, folder 22
To top

Rhinehart, Joe P. The Poems of Robert Lee Madison, 1984-1985

  • Box 1, folder 23-25
To top

Wojahan, Davis. Rilke's Children, 1981-1987

  • Box 1, folder 26
To top

Daggy, Robert. Thomas Murton and D. T. Suzuki Encounter, 1984-1990

  • Box 2, folder 1-4
To top

Seitz, Ron. Monk's Pond - Old Hermit - Hai!, 1986-1989

  • Box 2, folder 5-6
To top

Seitz, Ron. Poet Pray, 1988

  • Box 2, folder 7
To top

Wolfe, George C. and Taylor, Richards. Shackles, 1987-1988

  • Box 2, folder 8
To top

Smock, Frederick. The Muhammad Ali Poems, 1988-1989

  • Box 2, folder 9
To top

Whitesel, Carolyn. A Mute Circle of Shine, 1989

  • Box 2, folder 10
To top

Steele, Peggy and Levertov, Denise. No Known Pattern, 1989-1990

  • Box 2, folder 11
To top

Millward, Burton. 'King' Solomon, 1987-1990

  • Box 2, folder 12
To top

Norman, Gurney. Crazy Quilt, 1971-1990

  • Box 2, folder 13
To top

Hubbard, John. From the Poet's House A Portrait of New Harmony, 1990

  • Box 2, folder 14-15
To top

Aitken, Robert. The Dragon Who Never Sleeps, 1989-1991

  • Box 2, folder 16-19
To top

Berry, Wendell. Sabbaths 1987, 1989-1991

  • Box 3, folder 1-3
To top

Gorham, Sarah and Skinner, Jeffrey. Assorted Poems, 1990-1991

  • Box 3, folder 4
To top

Gorham, Sarah and Skinner, Jeffrey. Frankfort Arts Foundation Chapbook Competition Correspondence, 1991

  • Box 3, folder 5
To top

Hubbard, Keith. A Jazz Primer, 1990-1991

  • Box 3, folder 6
To top

Hubbard, Keith. Reenacting Our Birth, 1991

  • Box 3, folder 7
To top

Davenport, Guy. August Blue, 1991-1992

  • Box 3, folder 8-11
To top

Whitesel, Carolyn. In Late March, 1991-1992

  • Box 3, folder 12
To top

Berry, Wendell. A Consent, 1990-1993

  • Box 3, folder 13-16
To top

Hall, James Baker. Fast Signing Mute, 1990-1992

  • Box 3, folder 17-20
To top

Urie, Anthony. Tony's Chicken Poem, 1992

  • Box 3, folder 21
To top

Redmon, Adelia A. Anastasia's Journey, 1992-1993

  • Box 3, folder 22
To top

Mason, Bobbie Ann. With Jazz, 1990-1995

  • Box 4, folder 1-5
To top

Sanfield, Steve. American Zen, 1990-1996

  • Box 4, folder 6-7
To top

Sermones, Charles. Homeplace, 1992-1994

  • Box 4, folder 8-9
To top

Smock, Frederick. Twelve Poems, 1991-1993

  • Box 4, folder 10
To top

Wright, Orman. Leiper Street, 1993

  • Box 4, folder 11-12
To top

Smock, Frederick. Habits of the Natives, 1994

  • Box 4, folder 13
To top

Ferlinghetti, Lawrence. Travels in America Deserta, 1994

  • Box 4, folder 14
To top

Berry, Wendell. The Farm, 1994-1995

  • Box 4, folder 15-16
To top

Dachtler, Doc. A Ramp for Helen, 1994

  • Box 4, folder 17
To top

Green, Jonathan. The Man Came to Haul Stone, 1994-1997

  • Box 4, folder 18
To top

Haines, John. Where the Twilight Never Ends, 1994-1995

  • Box 4, folder 19
To top

Haines, John. A Guide to the Four-Chambered Heart, 1995-1996

  • Box 4, folder 20-21
To top

Driskell, Leon. Turnabout, 1995

  • Box 5, folder 1
To top

Magid, Barry. The Life of Zeno - A New Translation, 1994-1996

  • Box 5, folder 2-6
To top

Shane, Leslie. High Water Pantoum, 1996

  • Box 5, folder 7
To top

Dachtler, Donald. The Last Gift, 1996-1998

  • Box 5, folder 8-9
To top

Sanfield, Steve. In One Year, Out the Other, 1997-1999

  • Box 5, folder 10-11
To top

Zeitz, Gray. No Time Lost in Whetting, 1998-1999

  • Box 5, folder 12-15
To top

Milward, Burton. Reminiscence of 'Aunt Betty' Hummons, 1998-2000

  • Box 5, folder 16
To top

Worley, Jeff. A Simple Human Motion, 1998-2000

  • Box 5, folder 17-18
To top

Portfolio binders, 1973-2003

Scope and Contents

The items contained within this series were originally housed in portfolio binders. The items were removed from the binders while maintaining origninal order. The current foldering reflects that order.

Invitations, announcements, cards, early commercial work, 1973-1986

  • Box 6, folder 1
To top

Invitations, Announcements, clippings, 1986-1987

  • Box 6, folder 2
To top

Invitations, Announcements, cards, 1987-1988

  • Box 6, folder 3
To top

Invitations, Announcements, 1983-2003

  • Box 6, folder 4
To top

Invitations, announcements, business cards, various proofs, 1975-1984

  • Box 6, folder 5
To top

Event announcements, clippings, advertisements, 1988-1989

  • Box 6, folder 6
To top

Invitations, announcements, proofs, newspaper clippings, 1989

  • Box 6, folder 7
To top

Invitations, pamphlets, assorted proofs, advertisements, 1988-1989

  • Box 6, folder 8
To top

Invitations, pamphlets, advertisements, assorted proofs, 1989-1990

  • Box 6, folder 9
To top

Invitations, pamphlets, advertisements, assorted proofs, 1990

  • Box 6, folder 10
To top

Invitations, holiday cards, announcements, advertisements, 1990-1991

  • Box 6, folder 11
To top

Wedding invitations, announcements, assorted proofs, 1991

  • Box 6, folder 12
To top

Wedding invitations, post cards, announcements, assorted proofs, 1991

  • Box 6, folder 13
To top

Invitations, newspaper clippings, postcards, assorted proofs, 1991

  • Box 7, folder 1
To top

Invitations, paper samples, certificates, various proofs, 1993

  • Box 7, folder 2
To top

Certificates, baby announcements, invitations, various proofs, 1994

  • Box 7, folder 3
To top

Newspaper clippings, invitations, advertisements, assorted proofs, 1995

  • Box 7, folder 4
To top

Holiday cards, invitations, newspaper clippings, various proofs, 1996-1997

  • Box 7, folder 5
To top

Invitations, announcements, advertisements, assorted proofs, 1998-1999

  • Box 7, folder 6
To top

Invitations, newspaper clippings, announcements, assorted proofs, 2000

  • Box 7, folder 7
To top

Broadsides, 1985-1997

Center for Old Music in the New World, Poor Richard's Bookhouse, International Book Project. Event Announcements, 1984-1997

  • Box 7, folder 8
To top

Kentucky Humanities Council. Awards, 1986-1992

  • Box 7, folder 9
To top

Vannarsdal, Eugene and Riddle, Bobby. Political Campaign Posters, 1989

  • Box 7, folder 10
To top

Hubbard, John. The Poet's House, 1990

  • Box 8, folder 1
To top

Assorted Poems, 1985-1991

  • Box 8, folder 2
To top

Kentucky Guild of Artists and Craftsmen. Honorary Fellow Award, 1986

  • Box 8, folder 3
To top

Kentucky Arts Council. Governor's Arts Awards, 1986-1994

  • Box 8, folder 4
To top

Kentucky State Department of Education. A Portfolio of Captions for the Hallway Exhibits at Portland Elementary, 1987

  • Box 8, folder 5
To top

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You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.

If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.

UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.

Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.

Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.

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You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.

If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.