Sign in or 
Share this
Gibbs Smith
| Gibbs M. Smith wanted to be a history professor. While in pursuit of his master’s degree, G. Smith wrote a dissertation on Joe Hill - American labor martyr, and songwriter - that profoundly changed his life. After this book was published by the University of Utah press and made into a movie, Gibbs started entertaining the idea of starting his own publishing company. While riding a cable car in San Francisco and contemplating this venture, Gibbs wrote Alfred Knopf a letter. "In my view, he was the greatest publisher in America," wrote G. Smith. Knopf wrote back with words of encouragement. Gibbs had the inspiration needed to embark upon this extraordinary entrepreneurial adventure. In 1969, Gibbs Smith and his wife, Catherine, started the company known today as Gibbs Smith, Publisher. With $12,000 in cash earned from the Smiths’ work on the movie Joe Hill, the company published four initial books, which would be used as supplementary texts in college history classes. The first few years were tough, as Gibbs and his wife, Cathy, ran the company out of their studio apartment in Santa Barbara. In 1973, the company relocated to Utah, where Gibbs and Cathy reinvested profits back into the business and lived on savings. They spent the first summer there converting an old barn (built in 1916) on the family farm into offices. It was a race against time, as the barn had no roof and winter was rapidly approaching. During that summer they also managed to publish a new textbook, Utah’s Heritage. This proved to be a very wise decision, as the company’s textbook division provided financial stability during the early years. Working in a semi-converted barn was challenging at times. Madge Baird, who joined the company in 1974 and now serves as Managing Editor, recalls a meeting with an author that was interrupted by the birth of a lamb. "When I heard the news I jumped up, ran outside, and started ‘lambing,’" she said. Gibbs will never forget sharing the barn with cows those first few years. "You could hear them mooing through the walls," he says with a smile. "People could hear them over the phone, too." When he would explain the ruckus, the response on the other end of the line was always the same: "You do what . . .from where?" Today, many of the employees of Gibbs Smith, Publisher continue to work in the small but rustic and charming barn, and thankfully, the cows are long gone. Gibbs still believes that the unique working environment stimulates the creative side of the business, which has always been its dominant strength. "Each day, our spirits are renewed and refreshed by the sound of running water outside our windows, the feel of old log cabins located on our farm, the subtle hues of weathered barnwood, the smell of hayfields, the sight of sheep outside our windows," he says. "We feel our feet are on the earth and our minds and spirits are seeking to express only the best in the pages of our books." |  Western Shirts: A Classic American Fashion by Steve Weil and G. Daniel DeWeese published by Gibbs Smith, Publisher in October, 2008. This unique account is a great resource for understanding the history behind the American pieces of art, such as the classic shirts. This fully illustrated title contains an intriguing stories and dazzling photographs; chapters on The History of Western Shirts, Vintage Shirts as Collectibles, Design Elements of Western Shirts, and Levi Strauss & Co. Steve Weil has western wear in his blood: he is the 3rd generation to run his family business, Rockmount Ranch Wear Manufacturing Company. This days he heads the company and is responsible for all design af the brand. He lives in Denver. G. Daniel DeWeese has been a writer, photographer, and editor for western industry magazines for 22 years.  Art and the Gardener: Fine Painting as Inspiration for Garden Design by Gordon Hayward published by Gibbs Smith in October, 2008. This fascinating title explores the visual language that garden designers share with painters and artists, such as Paul Cezanne, Claude Monet, Henri Matisse, Vincent Van Gogh... Gordon Hayward explores two artistic disciplines - visual, painting and garden design; and hopes that these disciplines both will help make the unique designs or simply appreciate the garden. G. Hayward explains relationships between a house and garden, specific design principals, the roles that trees play in a garden, the composition. The author of several books, Gordon travels extensively across the United States, designing residential gardens and lecturing about garden design. G. Hayward lectures at art museums and botanical gardens and has published numerous books, including Garden Paths, which sold 45,000 copies.  Building with Nature: Inspiration for the Arts & Crafts Home by Leslie Freudenheim published by Gibbs Smith in 2005. It is is a story of an outstanding transformation of delves and architecture into the inspiration behind an American expression. This remarkable book explores the beginnings of environmentalism, Arts & Crafts collaboration in California's natural beauty, devotion to Ruskin and the Arts & Crafts (1865 and on.) Several reputable architects found their passion for architecture in the roots of the California Arts & Crafts - Charles Keeler, A. Page Brown, Joseph Worcester, Bernard Maybeck, and others... Building in Nature has national and international influence. This group of idealists was propelling the West Coast into the forefront of meshing Arts & Crafts aesthetics with beautifully designed and affordable houses... |
References:
http://www.gibbs-smith.com/
Category:
Articles
Book Publishing
|
Admin123456 |
Latest page update: made by Admin123456
, Dec 23 2008, 6:14 PM EST
(about this update
About This Update
Edited by Admin123456
119 words deleted view changes - complete history) |
|
More Info: links to this page
|
There are no threads for this page.
Be the first to start a new thread.
