The dictionary defines a Broadside as:
A large sheet of paper printed on one side only Historically, broadsides were posters, announcing events or proclamations, or simply advertisements. Today, broadside printing is done by many smaller printers and publishers as a fine art variant, with poems often being available as broadsides, intended to be framed and hung on the wall.
Broadsides are nothing new, they have been around since the beginning of printing. Poetry is the most popular type of writing to be featured in this format. Sheets can be as small as a handbill or as large as a poster. They are usually limited in edition and often are signed and lettered or numbered by the artist or poet, thus making them highly collectible. These can range in price from a few dollars to over a thousand dollars depending on the artist or poet and the scarcity of the edition.
Landmark Books offers broadsides from two different presses. The first are broadsides by Deep Wood Press, a letter press which uses handcrafted paper, handmade inks and are printed in very small print runs usually under 100 copies. They range in price from $65 to as much as $400.
The second press is Squirrel Cane Press which utilizes modern printing and commercially available papers and inks. They are signed and lettered or numbered by the poets and sell for between $10 and $25 each. The press was started to make collectible poetry affordable for the poet.
If you would like to check out our selection stop by the store anytime. Landmark Books will be hosting a signing of their latest broadside on April 24th with poet Keith Taylor beginning that day at 5:00pm.