Baskin,
who started The Gehenna Press in 1942 was often quoted as saying, "people
like me who care about printing- the architecture of the page- constitute
the tiniest lunatic fringe in the nation." For over fifty years The
Gehenna Press was Leonard's lasting monument, his gift to the nation and
the art world at large. As a student at Yale University in 1942, he produced
his first book of his own poems. For over fifty years the Gehenna Press
continued to produce fine press books and prints. Among the best known
of Baskin's books are those in which he collaborated with such noted poets
as Ted Hughes, Anthony Hecht, James Baldwin and our own Richard Michelson.
Upon his death in 2000, The Gehenna Press was the longest running, privately
owned press in the country. Throughout his work, Baskin explored not only
book design, but also the history of print making.
