National Library News

October/November 1996, vol. 28, nos. 10-11

Spotlight on... Catching the Wave

"New Wave Canada: Coach House Press and the Small Press Movement in English Canada in the 1960s”, the National Library’s latest major exhibition, opened on June 20 to an enthusiastic crowd. The exhibition pays tribute to a remarkable era in Canadian publishing.

The featured guest speaker for the evening, Roch Carrier, Director of the Canada Council, joined National Librarian Marianne Scott in cutting the ribbon to open the exhibition.

Left to right: Stan Bevington, founder and driving force of the Coach House Press until the early 1990s, now head of Coach House Printing; Marianne Scott; David McKnight; and Roch Carrier.

During the 1960s Canadian literature, along with other forms of cultural activity, experienced an unprecedented explosion. Homegrown small presses and literary magazines owned and edited by Canadian writers nurtured Canadian writing and writers from coast to coast during this exciting period in our cultural history. The Coach House Press, founded in 1965, was perhaps the most innovative and significant of all literary presses established during the decade, its collaborative nature demonstrating just how fruitful cooperation among writers, artists and publishers could be.

During the opening ceremonies, Guest Curator David McKnight shared some of his experiences in creating the exhibition and bringing it to fruition. His original concept of the exhibition included a "virtual" exhibition on the World Wide Web.

The primary sources for material for the exhibition were found in the National Library’s Literary Manuscript holdings, specifically the papers of Coach House Press, the papers of Victor Coleman, and the Nicky Drumbolis Coach House Press Collection. However, Guest Curator David McKnight sought materials and information from a variety of other sources to create a vivid exhibition which is fascinating, informative and nostalgic, presenting a rich, unique view of a special period in Canadian publishing history.

The computer located in the exhibition room allows visitors to view individual items in the exhibition around them, and to examine other artifacts that further develop the storyline followed in the exhibition.

Those who have access to the World Wide Web can “visit” New Wave Canada on the National Library’s home page at http://www.nlc-bnc.ca. The exhibition can be seen free of charge in the National Library’s main exhibition room at 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily until February 20, 1997. For further information, contact:

Items displayed in the exhibition include correspondence, finely crafted books and printed objects, magazines, catalogues, postcards, ephemera and a fabulous selection of posters. While Coach House Press is the centerpiece, other presses founded in the 1960s and featured in the exhibition include talonbooks, Oberon Press, blewointment, Weed/Flower and Ganglia.

Andrea Paradis
Telephone: (613) 992-3052
Fax: (613) 947-2706
TTY: (613) 992-6969
Internet: andrea.paradis@nlc-bnc.ca