The Ward Ritchie Press collection consists primarily of papers ranging from 1928-1996, with the bulk of materials originating from 1930-1970. The collection includes job packets, typescripts, manuscripts, lectures, correspondence, photographs, ephemera, sketches, page and galley proofs, poetry, and some personal items. The "Associated Presses and Business Records" series consists of job packets, printer's overs, manuscripts, typescripts, amd mock-ups that are largely related to Ritchie's work with The Ward Ritchie Press, but also include business records relating to Anderson & Ritchie, Anderson, Ritchie & Simon, and Laguna Verde Imprenta. It also includes assorted typescripts and manuscripts that have an unknown provenance but were collected by Ritchie. The "Biographical and Personal Papers" series includes oral and performed works, personal photographs, gifted artwork, videos of birthday celebrations, and other works collected by Ritchie. The collection of oral and performed works include speeches and lectures given at Zamorano & Roxburghe Club meetings, Clark Library events, and Occidental College award ceremonies. The "Correspondence" series contains letters to noteable figures such as Lawrence Clark Powell, Gloria Stuart, Robinson Jeffers, Rockwell Kent, and Jake Zeitlin. Since Ritchie had working relationships with many of his friends, the series is composed of a mixture of business and personal correspondence. The "Subject Files" series includes collected items relating to other presses (Black Cat Press, Castle Press), universities (Caltech, Occidental, UCLA), clubs (Zamorano, Rounce & Coffin), and special collection libraries (Huntington Library, Clark Library).

Ward Ritchie was born in 1905 in Los Angeles, and grew up in a series of residences in the Los Angeles and Pasadena areas. His father was in the pharmaceutical trade. He attended Marengo Avenue School and Occidental College, transferring to Stanford, University of the South, and back to Occidental again. After a brief try at law school at USC he decided to make a career the book arts, influenced by a reading of T.J. Cobden-Sanderson's Journals. By examining examples of fine printing, mainly at the Huntington Library, he learned the elements of book design, and a semester at Frank Wiggins Trade School gave him some technical knowledge. He began printing in 1929. The next year he talked himself into an "apprenticeship" with François Louis Schmied, the French art-deco designer, illustrator, and printer. After four months with Schmied he returned to Los Angeles and a brief job with bookseller Jake Zeitlin.

140 Linear feet 221 boxes

Copyright has not been assigned to the William Andrews Clark emorial Library, UCLA. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library 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.

Collection is open for research.