Charles E. Skaggs: A Life With Letters

Charles Skaggs, born in 1917, grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. While in high school he apprenticed in an art studio, where he learned the fundamentals of printing processes. At the age of nineteen, he went to Chicago and soon made his mark designing advertising art, packaging, and posters. In Chicago he was introduced to the art of book design by Chicago bibliophiles, including Raymond DaBoll, who showed him the work of William Addison Dwiggins. Skaggs also taught himself calligraphy during this time.

Skaggs moved to New York City in 1945 and quickly established himself as a freelance book jacket designer. He worked on books and jackets for the Limited Editions Club and for the publisher Alfred A. Knopf. Through Knopf, Skaggs worked closely with W.A. Dwiggins. Skaggs also became acquainted with other leading figures in calligraphy and type and book design—Oscar Ogg, Paul Standard, Philip Grushkin, and George Salter. At Salter’s urging, Skaggs joined the faculty of the Cooper Union in 1953. For five years, he taught night classes in calligraphy and the history of the alphabet.

In November 2001 Charles E. Skaggs donated his personal typographic library to the rare book collection at Smith College. This gift includes approximately 580 books, many of them special and limited editions produced throughout the past six decades, many of them designed by Skaggs. There also is a wealth of ephemeral printed and calligraphic material. His entire career is highlighted in this exhibition featuring original art work and calligraphy, his book and jacket designs, and articles written by him. The work of a number of his colleagues in the world of lettering and book arts also is shown.

Charles Skaggs attended a public reception for this exhibition on Friday, September 13, 2002.

Exhibition
Each image below is a link to a particular case of the exhibition. They can be viewed in order via the links at the bottom of each page, or individually by returning to this home page and selecting the case you would like to view. A collection of book jackets designed by Skaggs is available as part of this web exhibition.