Printing Books for Four Decades Exhibition Celebrates Scott Vile

A celebration of the work of printer Scott Vile at the Ascensius Press is the focus of The Baxter Society's current exhibition Printing Books for Four Decades.

On view through August 29 the Glickman Family Library at the University of Southern Maine in Portland, it presents many of the exquisite books and ephemera printed at the press since 1990, both by letterpress and offset processes.

Scott Vile has been printing since the age of 15 and is one of the few remaining printers in Maine still using handset type.

Ascensius Press publishes its own letterpress editions and produces works for many of the nation’s pre-eminent private libraries, and has provided design, printing, and production coordination services to authors, publishers, libraries and other organizations. 

The Baxter Society is a bibliophilic organization which aims to advance the quality and diversity of private and public libraries, to promote excellence in the arts pertaining to the history, design, and production of books, and to provide a supportive environment for those interested in the creation, preservation, and collection of books.

Admission to the exhibition is free.