An Unknown Work from an Unknown Time

In the second case of the exhibit, we throw viewers a bit of a curveball by introducing a modern woodblock. It is, of course, there for a reason: to compare and contrast work from perhaps the premier wood engraver of today with work by unknown artists from an unknown time.

The modern piece is the work of Gaylord Schanilec. On display is a woodblock from his Ernest Morgan: Printer of Principle, published by Schanilec's Midnight Paper Sales Press in 2001. Schanilec has this to say about the book:

In 1997 I traveled to Yancy County, North Carolina, and spent three days with Ernest Morgan. He had been described to me as an old printer (ninety-two years of age) with plenty of good stories. On the first day, much to my surprise, he mentioned that he had been an apprentice in the shop of William Rudge in 1923 and yes, Bruce Rogers had been there. In the course of my visit Ernest went into detail about his experiences in Rudge’s shop. He gave me a line of type ornaments designed by Bruce Rogers that he took with him when he left in 1924.... He also talked extensively about his own enterprise, the Antioch Bookplate Company, where he had dealings with such bookish notables as Rockwell Kent and Lynd Ward....

Ernest was also a social activist. During the Depression he had been a union organizer, a regional barter organization manager (as well as the printer of its currency), and Chairman of the Socialist Party of Ohio (as well as its candidate for governor).

The text of Ernest Morgan: Printer of Principle is a transcription of his stories. Will Powers, who contributed an introduction and afterword to the text, started his career as a printer apprentice at Ernest Morgan’s Antioch Bookplate Company in 1968. From there he embarked on an illustrious career as a printer, designer of books, and a fine typographer.

Juxtaposed to the Morgan block are two blocks used to print prayer flags. As with our ancient works displayed in the first case, these prayer blocks are scantily identified. Labels on the blocks identify them as Manchu and Mongol; both are undated. We do not know much more about them, not even the wood from which they are made.

Part of our mission is to collect and document examples of global writing and printing technologies from antiquity to the present. Artifacts acquired from dealers at an earlier time occasionally present gaps in our knowledge. Dealer’s descriptions of items were often incomplete or incorrect. The age of these prayer blocks, for example, are unknown; their labels or other identifying marks potentially misleading. Artifacts such as these present opportunities for additional research, in the quest for fuller, more robust descriptions and of information about the cultures that created them.

While we know little about the prayer blocks, we take some solace in what they represent, and what they create: the promotion of peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. In days such as these, there is some small comfort knowing that somewhere, on the roof of the world, winds blow these prayers and mantras, spreading good will and benefit to all. And as the flags fade, exposed to the elements, new flags take their place. Hope is renewed; the power of the press is reaffirmed.