Life of Dard Hunter
William Joseph "Dard" Hunter was an American craftsman, artist, and historian. Hunter was a major contributor to the Arts and Crafts Movement of the twentieth century and in 1916 he became the first individual in the history of printing to produce all aspects of a book by hand.
Life Work
Dard Hunter II worked for over 15 years to produce the magnificent two volume set The Life Work of Dard Hunter.
Papermaking
On a spring day in 1911, Dard Hunter wandered into the London Science museum and saw the hand papermaking and type-founding exhibits. The equipment for these crafts – papermaking moulds, watermarks, steel punches, copper matrices, and hand-held typecasting moulds – inspired Hunter to learn more about these centuries-old crafts.
Mountain House
The Mountain House was built in the early 1850’s by Louis Meganhoffen, a German immigrant who fled his country during the Freedom from Persecution Act of 1846. Wine bottle shaped windows and remnants of hillside terracing evidence the home’s original use as one of the first wineries in Ohio.
Graphic Design Roycroft Years
During his time with the Roycrofters in East Aurora, NY, Dard Hunter executed over 150 original graphic designs for books, catalogs and other Roycroft publications.
Vienna & London
Hunter returned to Vienna in 1910 and attended courses at the K. K. Graphische Leht-und Versuchsansalt (Royal-Imperial Graphic Teaching and Experimental Institute) after which he moved to London.
Pottery, Jewelry, & Furniture
During his time with the Roycrofters, Dard Hunter experimented with several different medias including pottery, furniture, stained glass, metals, and jewelry.
Phil The Wizard
Philip Courtney Hunter was born in 1881 and at a young age displayed considerable talents and intelligence. By the age of 20, Phil the Wizard, as he became known, was an accomplished magician who traveled throughout the country entertaining huge crowds at every stop.