Stratford Press (Cincinnati)
former American printing house
The Stratford Press of Cincinnati was the private press of Elmer Frank Gleason (1882–1965), who hand-crafted non-commercial books for libraries, literary clubs, academic institutions, philanthropists, artists, collectors, patrons, and friends.
History
The Stratford Press, for commercial purposes, was founded in 1913 in Worcester, Massachusetts, by Thomas F. Johnson (born 1880) and Elmer Frank Gleason for the purpose of producing "high-grade commercial and society printing." Gleason filed for bankruptcy in 1914.
After the failed commercial attempt in Worcester, Gleason began building books, privately in Cincinnati under the name, Stratford Press, around 1920, as a hobby – during the arts and Crafts movement, and in particular, the private press movement throughout Britain, Europe, and America. Gleason – lauded as a talented artisan in the craft of book building and design – printed and bound his books by hand. Some of his works have flourished in literary, art, and history circles, not only for design and construction, but also for substantive content. An exemplary specimen of his work is found in a booklet, Clara Chipman Newton: a memorial tribute, released November 1, 1938, in Cincinnati.
Selected acclaim
James Lamar Weygand, in 1965, authored and published a critical-biographical essay and a bibliography, Elmer F. Gleason and the Stratford Press: A History & Bibliography, wherein he asserted that the Stratford Press "was one of the most significant private presses of the Midwestern United States." He pointed out that, in nearly a half-century of creative activity, Gleason contributed substantially to typographical standards both in the Ohio Valley and in the nation.
Selected works
Clara Chipman Newton: A Memorial Tribute (small booklet; limited edition, privately distributed)
Elmer Frank Gleason
Elmer Frank Gleason, professionally in Cincinnati, was head of layout and design for the McDonald Printing Company.
The name, Stratford (disambiguation)
Stratford-upon-Avon is the hometown of Shakespeare. Stratford is also a metropolitan district in the London Borough of Newham in Greater London.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Stratford Press (Cincinnati)” is former American printing house. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Stratford, Press and Cincinnati, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “former American printing house” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 6, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q65084235. The first chronological checks are 1882, 1965, 1913 and 1880.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Stratford Press (Cincinnati)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Stratford Press (Cincinnati) primary sources, Stratford Press (Cincinnati) archive and Stratford research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Stratford Press (Cincinnati)”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Stratford Press (Cincinnati)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.