author
William Dana Orcutt
1870–1953
A gifted American book designer and author, he helped shape the look of fine printing in the early twentieth century while also writing novels, histories, and books about the craft of making books. His life sits at the meeting point of literature, design, and publishing.
6 Audiobooks
In quest of the perfect book : Reminiscences & reflections of a bookman
by William Dana Orcutt
The Spell
by William Dana Orcutt
The Bachelors: A Novel
by William Dana Orcutt
The Lever: A Novel
by William Dana Orcutt
About the author
Born in West Lebanon, New Hampshire, in 1870, William Dana Orcutt built a career that moved easily between writing and the visual art of the book. He became closely associated with the Plimpton Press in Massachusetts, where he was known for his work as a book designer and typeface designer as well as an author.
Orcutt wrote across several genres, including fiction, history, biography, and writing about printing and bookmaking. He is especially remembered for books such as The Magic of the Book, which reflects his deep interest in how books are made and why they matter, and for type designs including Humanistic and Laurentian.
What makes Orcutt interesting today is how completely he belonged to the world of books: not just as a writer of words, but as someone who cared about the page itself—its shape, type, and feel in the reader’s hands. He died in 1953, leaving behind a body of work that speaks both to readers and to anyone curious about the history of publishing.