Vanishing Press

Eugene S. Richardson, proprietor of the Vanishing Press, joined the Department of Geology at the Field Museum of Natural History (Chicago) in 1946 as curator of fossil invetebrates. He was responsible for the design of the Hall of Invertebrate Paleontology at the museum. Richardson's other interest was letterpress printing, and he maintained his Vanishing Press at his country home near Gurnee, Illinois. Richardson established the press in 1939, but after issuing a few publications, his work was interrupted by the war. The press resumed in earnest in 1962. Richardson set almost all the type himself. Most of his publications had a humorous cast and were written by him under the pseudonym E. Scumus Rory. In addition, he used the press to publish material about the history of his family, to print Christmas cards, and to prepare material for the "bundles" issued to members by the Amalgamated Printers Association of which he was a prime mover. He retired in 1982 and died the next year.