Curwen Press, Early Adapters of Brand Strategy

Abstract

Although the Curwen Press gained considerable prestige between the two world wars for its contribution to jobbing work and the fine printing of books, little recognition has been given to Harold Curwen, Joseph Thorp, and Oliver Simon for pioneering new forms of applied commercial art, that would, Curwen stated, cure the ‘commercial drabness’ associated with existing printing practice, and form a unique brand strategy.1 The Curwen Press engaged illustrators, photographers and commercial artists who were already building their professional careers, to enrich and imbue clients’ printed projects with a certain Curwen twist. Informed by the archives of the Curwen Press, this paper examines how the Press created innovation in applied design and inadvertently developed a brand strategy before the term was properly identified, thus distinguishing them from traditional printers.