Locks’ Press
Locks’ Press fonds. – 1924-2008; predominant 1979-2000. –
9.3 m of textual records, graphic material and objects. – 1 video
cassette.
Locks’ Press is a private press, owned and operated by Fred and
Margaret Lock in Kingston, Ontario. The press was originally established
in 1978 in Brisbane, Australia, where the Locks’ resided from 1974
to 1987. The first book from the press was published there in 1979
and by 1987 when they moved to Canada, the Press had produced seven
books. In Kingston, Fred Lock received an appointment as Professor
of English at Queen’s University. The Locks’ bought a house
and have since worked out of their home, where they have turned their
kitchen into a press room and two bedrooms into a studio and bindery.
By 2001,
they had printed eleven books, fourteen pamphlets, and twelve broadsides, most of them
with illustrations by Margaret.
Margaret Lock was born in Hamilton in 1950 and graduated from McMaster
University in Fine Art in 1972. She later studied printmaking at Goldsmiths
College, University of London. Fred Lock was born in England in 1948
and moved to Canada in 1971 as a graduate student in the Department
of English at McMaster. From 1974 to 1987 he taught in Australia, at
the University of Queensland. Fred has a special interest in Latin,
medieval and eighteenth-century English texts. He acts as editor and
has also provided translations for about a third of the titles. Margaret
designs the books and does the typesetting, illustrating in woodcuts,
printing and binding. The type is handset, and printed one page at a
time in a proofing press. The paper is hand-made, and the books are
in small editions, bound by hand. The Locks’ aims are to publish
literature before 1900, in order to reflect their personal interests
and provide an opportunity for Margaret’s woodcut illustrations.
Locks’ Press has been represented in many group and solo exhibitions,
in Australia, Canada and the United States. The Locks have won awards
for their excellence in the book arts. Though the Press ceased book
publication after 2000, it is still in operation and has continued to
produce broadsides.
The fonds is arranged into the following six series: Correspondence;
Photographs and moving images; Private Presses; Locks’ Press; Woodblocks,
linocuts and copper plates; Catalogues, pamphlets, books, magazines
and newsletters.
Books belonging to this fonds have been listed in an Appendix; they
will be catalogued for Archives and Research Collections.
Title based on contents of the fonds.
The fonds (22-2008) was acquired from Fred and Margaret Lock in February
2008.
Finding aid available electronically and in hard copy.
There are no access restrictions.
Further accruals are expected.
