Printing Week Volumes

22-Volume set.

Three sets of the Printing Week Library of Benjamin Franklin Keepsakes have appeared in auctions recently. This is a sweet set of small books on Franklin, “Privately Printed in New York.” I also see some of these volumes listed on Amazon.

I have all 29 of these volumes in my library. Oak Knoll Press publishes a list, replicated below with expansions. The first number seems to be their inventory count, the second number is my personal inventory count. The asterisks indicate issues where I may have a copy available.

  1. 1953 WAY TO WEALTH (0)(1)
    1954. none issued. Keepsake took another form
    1955: not listed
  2. * 1956 B. FRANKLIN, 1706-1790 (2)(2)
  3. 1957. BEN FRANKLIN, WIT (0)(1)
  4. 1958. ON TRUE HAPPINESS (1)(1)
  5. 1959. DON’T GIVE TOO MUCH FOR THE WHISTLE AND OTHER ESSAYS (3)(1)
  6. 1960 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, INVENTOR, (3)(1)
  7. * 1961. B. FRANKLIN, INNOVATOR (1)(2)
  8. 1962 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WAS THERE (n.l.)(1)
  9. 1963. AMERICA’S BIG BEN (2)(1)
  10. 1964. WHAT GOOD IS A NEW BORN BABE? (1)(1)
  11. 1965. WHAT GOOD IS SERVING GOD? (1)(1)
  12. 1966. ARTICLES OF BELIEF (1)(1)
  13. 1967. AN APOLOGY FOR PRINTERS (1)(1)
  14. * 1968 THE SILENCE DOGOOD LETTERS (7)(2) Dedicated to Lews F. White, the designer of “twelve earlier editions” of this keepsake.
  15. 1969 THE SILENCE DOGOOD LETTERS II (4)(1)
  16. 1970. LE BON DOCTEUR FRANKLIN, THE TOAST OF PARIS (3)(1)
  17. 1971 FRANKLIN OF PHILADELPHIA IN LONDON (4, 1 with bookplate) (0)
  18. * 1972 A QUART OF OYSTERS AND OTHER BON MOTS (6)(2)
  19. * 1973 SHEEP WILL NEVER MAKE INSURRECTIONS (5)(2!)
  20. * 1974 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, PRINTER AT WORK (4)(2!)
  21. * 1975 ADMIRAL FRANKLIN? YES, ADMIRAL FRANKLIN (6)(3)
  22. 1976 “THE DREAM”, “BENJAMIN FRANKLIN’S DREAM… (2)(1) Three stories by Isaac Asimov
  23. 1977. MY DEAR GIRL (5)(1)
  24. 1978. MY DEAR GIRL II, “25TH KEEPSAKE”, this count perhaps includes the keepsake for 1954. (4)(1)
  25. * 1979. FRANKLIN AND WOMEN (2)(2)
  26. 1980. HOW GEORGE WASHINGTON GOT HIS GUNPOWDER (3)(1)
  27. 1981. THE PRINTER AT WORK (sold out)(1)
  28. 1982 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, THE DIPLOMAT, by Vera Laska (5)(1)
  29. 1983 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, ANECDOTES AND EULOGIES (3)(1).

I would be happy to more about the organization producing these volumes.