This collection contains over 700 letters, photographs and documents ranging from 1926-1995, largely related to the personal life of Los Angeles printer Ward Ritchie. This collection also includes two photograph albums documenting Ward's childhood and young adulthood, compiled and illustrated by his mother, Effie Palmer Ritchie.

Harry "Ward" Ritchie was born on June 15th, 1905 in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in a series of households in Los Angeles and Pasadena while he attended Marengo Avenue School and South Pasadena High School. In these schools, Ritchie found an early passion for art and literature, and also met lifelong friend and collaborator, Lawrence Clark Powell. Ritchie graduated from Occidental College in 1928 after a brief stint at Sewanee College. He decided to pursue law at the University of Southern California, but quickly realized it was not for him. Inspired by the journals of English printer Thomas J. Cobden-Sanderson, Ritchie turned his interests towards printing. He took on a job at Vroman's bookstore in Pasadena and enrolled in a vocational printing course at Frank Wiggins Trade School (now Los Angeles Trade Tech). In 1931, Ritchie moved to Paris, France to apprentice under Francois-Louis Schmied, an internationally recognised printer and illustrator. In the same year, Ritchie co-founded The Rounce & Coffin Club with Jake Zeitlin, Grant Dahlstrom, and Gregg Anderson as a rival to the Zamorano Club. This fine-press book and printing club lasted over seventy years, with a peak of fifty-five local members, before coming to an end in 2007.

5.68 Linear feet (10 boxes)

Copyright has not been assigned to the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, UCLA. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Clark Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, UCLA as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

This collection is open for research.