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In the introduction to the first Lakeside Classic, he wrote, "If, in a modest way this volume conveys the idea that machine-made books are not a crime against art, and that books may be plain but good, and good though not costly, its mission has been accomplished."
The basic format of the Lakeside Classics has remained the same for more than 90 years, testifying to the sound design of the first volume. Each 25 years the cover material is changed and type style adjusted to keep pace with current developments in fine book-making. Production methods are updated as book manufacturing improvements are introduced. Current editions use electronic page composition, digital scanning and state-of-the-art computer-to-plate technologies.
The first volume was The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. The tone for the series: first person narratives of American history, usually taken from books long out of print and not easily obtainable. Subsequent volumes have emphasized the history of Chicago and the Midwest, the frontier experience and the Old American West, and the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. During the 1990s, the series has expanded to include a wider range of American voices and experiences both at home and abroad.
While not edited with the historian or serious student in mind, the Classics have benefited from a line of distinguished historians and university professors and directors of well-known historical societies who have served as editors.
The Lakeside Classics are sent annually as a gift to customers, employees, company retirees and other special friends. They are never sold by the company, but some find their way into the rare book market. A few volumes have become so extremely rare that collectors who own a complete set usually consider themselves most fortunate.
For a complete, chronological list of the Lakeside Classics, click here.
For more information, contact:
Susan M. Levy
Director, Community Relations
E-mail: susan.levy@rrd.com.