In a previous post, I mentioned my former boss and friend Fred R. Siegle. He and his wife Else are pictured above. Fred ran a print shop called Profile Press. It was on 25th Street and Seventh Avenue in Manhattan, in a building that housed printers and binderies and type houses. The upper 20s was filled with the printing industry and then a bit farther north began the garment district.

Profile Press was my first real job out of college in 1972. I did have a short run with another designer, doing paste-ups of really schlocky packaging where the environment was toxic, and my co-worker was sexually harassing and blackmailing the boss. Getting the job with Fred was a life-saver.

In reality, Fred was a printing broker and a designer. His clients included many of the finest art galleries—Betty Parsons, OK Harris, Marlborough, and more.— along with small publishers and a variety of interesting people in the arts.

Each year, Fred self-published a charming keepsake book for his clients and delivered them during the holidays. Fred learned design during the 20's and 30's and his style reflected that.

I have been buying them whenever I see them available on used bookstore sites. Here are some examples, some which are available on Amazon or Oak Knoll Books.