l accounts, Rushmore was well-respected and well-liked among his colleagues and peers, a man who was a “teetotaler in liquor and language but alive, pert, jolly and friendly” (AIGA 73). Throughout his career and in his personal life, Rushmore’s commitment and devotion to producing quality-designed books never wavered. Both Harper’s and the Golden Hind Press benefited from Rushmore’s design and production skills and his strength of publishing principles. One of the biggest reasons behind Rushmore’s success was his respect for putting the written word into print in addition to the fact that he loved his work, or as Noel Coward once stated, “Work is more fun than fun” (Fitzhenry 381).
Rushmore was responsible for many innovations and successes in his combined work at Harper’s and the Golden Hind Press. While he considered his private press a hobby rather than a professional venture, it produced some of the most professionally and beautifully crafted books of any imprint commercial or private. The Golden Hind Press was a family affair for the Rushmore’s, involving his two daughters and wife who all seemed to be infused with the same love and enthusiasm for book publishing as Rushmore. The underlying philosophy behind the Golden Hind Press is basically summarized by Rushmore’s definition of the Ideal Book, for the Rushmore’s crafted books for beauty and distinction via a “hard labor and no profits” methodology (Arthur: Life 1).
After a brief biography of Arthur W. Rushmore, an account of his years at Harper & Brothers will be rendered. In greater depth, an account of the Golden Hind Press and Rushmore’s private press endeavors will then be given. A conclusion will address the changing nature of book publishing in the 21st century in light of E-publishing and other technological innovations, a phenomenon that opens new avenues of publishing but at the same time threatens to destroy the beauty an...