Antique press in Maine republishes a classic

Pumpkin Press, a letterpress shop on Westport Island that uses only antique equipment, recently republished a classic book of poetry that first entertained readers in 1922.

“The Coast of Maine and Other Verses” was written by Henry A. Swanton, who traded a career as an engineer in 1911 for a quiet life as a farmer and village philosopher on Westport Island, near Wiscasset.

“I can still remember and call out and recite the whole list of what was in my market basket,” recalled his nephew, John Swanton Sr., who oversaw the book’s republication in a limited edition of 250 copies. “Peas, beans, beets, carrots, lettuce, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, cauliflower, spinach, chard, sweet peas and POEMS!”

The poems in Swanton’s little book are timeless slices of life, represented by “Our Winters” and “Farmer John and the Cost of Living.”

Cromwell wrote that aside from the book’s new “clean appearance,” it is indistinguishable from the 1922 edition, some of the original engravings of which were used to print the new book.

The text of the volume was set on a linotype machine that once saw service at the Bangor Daily News, and the large titles were set by hand in foundry type. Among the other antique processes used were hand sewing and gluing.

The book may be purchased by sending $6 plus postage and handling to Michael Roy and Althea Cromwell, owners of Pumpkin Press, RFD 2, Box 508, Westport Island 04578.