by Dana Miller
The Amos Paul Kennedy Jr. Collection is now searchable in our Manuscript Collections Database!
Amos Paul Kennedy Jr. (born 1948) is an American letterpress printer, papermaker, educator, and social activist. He established the first iteration of his imprint, Idiot Press, in the 1980s, with several additional iterations in the years following: Kennedy and Sons, Fine Printers (1990), Jubilee/Jubalee Press (between 1990-1992), York Show Prints (2002), and Kennedy Prints! (2004). In 2002, Kennedy began to move away from printing artist books and turned his focus to posters. This collection includes many of these posters, as well as postcards, state road maps, hand fans, and promotional materials created between 1992-2019.
Kennedy passionately addresses issues of race, freedom, and equality in his work, and seeks to promote the works of Black authors. Notable for his use of vivid colors and bold typography, Kennedy produces large editions of his designs, overprinting multiple layers of text and making constant, subtle alterations to the color of the inks throughout each press run, making each print being subtly unique. One such poster is currently on display in our exhibit space, featuring “Speech to the Young: Speech to the Progress-Toward (Among them Nora and Henry III)” by Gwendolyn Brooks [photo, top right].
Check out the Amos Paul Kennedy Jr. Collection here. As this collection continues to grow, make sure to keep an eye out for additional accessions!
