Inventory of the Dolmen Press Collection, Administrative Series, 1890 - 1986
The Dolmen Press was founded by Liam and Josephine Miller in 1951. The Press operated in Dublin from 1951 until Liam Miller's death in 1987. Founded to provide a publishing outlet for Irish poetry, the Press also heavily featured the work of Irish artists.
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Summary Information
- Repository
- Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives
- Title
- Dolmen Press Collection, Administrative Series
- Date
- 1890-1986 (inclusive)
- Extent
- 33.8 Linear Feet / 26 record cartons
- ID
- MS1003
Biographical and Historical Note
The Dolmen Press was founded by Liam and Josephine Miller in 1951. The Press operated in Dublin from 1951 until Liam Miller's death in 1987. Founded to provide a publishing outlet for Irish poetry, the Press also heavily featured the work of Irish artists. The scope of the press grew to include prose literature by Irish authors as well as a broad range of critical works about Irish literature and theater. The life and works of W.B. Yeats is a recurring theme in a variety of works, including the Yeats Centenary Series. One highlight in the Press' history was the publication of The Tain in 1969. Thomas Kinsella's translation of the Irish epic poem took 15 years from concept to publication and represented a milestone in Irish publishing. By the 1980s the Press had created the Brogeen Books division for juvenile works, and many of the later publications were under this imprint.
Collection Overview
This series consists of general business files, correspondence, publication files, awards, events files, office documents, personnel information, exhibition files, samples and other information relating to the operations and administration of the Dolmen Press. Some original administrative documents of the Dun Emer and Cuala Presses are also included. The documents range in date from 1890 to 1987, with the bulk of the documents dating from the 1960s to mid-1980s. All documents predating the establishment of the Dolmen Press in 1951 relate to the above mentioned presses. Extensive correspondence files include communications with Tate Adams, Arts Council of Ireland, Mia Cranwill, Dufour Editions Inc., S.W. Hayter, Humanities Press, Imprint Society, Irish Book Publishers Association, Irish Bookhandling, Sean O'Casey, Oxford University Press, Poetry Book Society, Bernard Shaw, and the William Morris Society. Also included with the correspondence are a number of fine press prospectuses and catalogs, sorted by press.
Administrative Information
- Publication Information
- Processed by: Jennifer O'Brien Roper; machine-readable finding aid created by: Jennifer O'Brien Roper
- Revision Description
- Revised by Stephanie Bennett and Finley Turner, 2019 September
- Access Restrictions
- This collection is open for use.
- Copyright Notice
- Copyright for materials resides with the creators of the items in question or their descendants, unless otherwise designated. Users of this collection are responsible for using the materials in conformance with U.S. copyright law.
- Preferred Citation
- [Identification of item], MS 1003, Dolmen Press Collection, Administrative Series, Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.