The Modern School Joseph Ishill published works under various imprints for ten years before he created the Oriole Press in 1926. All of the works shown here are from the period 1916-1925, when Ishill often used the imprint "The Free Spirit Press." Among the pieces in this case are issues of the three magazines which he helped to produce. The first, The Modern School, (1912-1922) was published at the Ferrer Colony, Stelton, N.J. The Ferrer Colony, one of many named after the Spanish anarchist and educator Francisco Ferrer, was a pioneer of the "modern school" movement. Ishill, a member of the Ferrer Colony, printed the magazine in 1916-1917. Paul Avrich called the magazine "one of the most beautiful cultural journals ever published in America, rich alike in content and design."
Included in this page are:
The Modern School: A Monthly Magazine Devoted To Advanced Ideas In Education. Stelton, N.J.: The Modern School Association of North America. Vol. III, No. 10, March 1917.
Cromwell and Packard types; embellished with typographical ornaments and Goudy Cloister initials; printed in black and two colors; wrappers; 5.5 x 8.5 inches.
"Mention must also be made of the master-printer Joseph Ishill's share in the publication of the magazine. It is he who, by his practically gratuitous service, has made its production possible on so finished and beautiful scale. To him must all the credit be given for the artistic make-up of the magazine and the consistent display of really fine printing. We regret that untoward circumstances have forced Joseph Ishill to give up the printing of the magazine." The Modern School, v. 4, n. 1, June-July 1917, p. 30.
The Free Spirit: A Monthly Magazine, edited, published and printed by Rose Florence Freeman and Joseph Ishill. Vol. I, No. 1, February 1919.
Cromwell type, embellished with typographical ornaments; printed in two colors; 5 x 7 inches. Five numbers were issued, some from New York and some from Berkeley Heights, N.J.
The Free Spirit was a collaborative effort between Ishill and his wife Rose, whom he had met through his associations with the Modern School. The strains of publishing even a bi-monthly journal with limited time, help, and equipment eventually became too much for the couple, and only five numbers were issued.
Open Vistas, A Bi-Monthly Of Life And Letters, edited by Hippolyte Havel and Joseph Ishill. Vol. I, No. 3, May/June 1925.
Cromwell and Cloister Oldstyle, embellished with typographical ornaments and initials; printed in two colors; 6.25 x 8.5 inches. Six numbers were published.
The final magazine published by Ishill, Open Vistas, was edited by Ishill and Hippolyte Havel (1869-1950), a sometimes member of the Ferrer Colony whose "main claim to distinction," according to Avrich, "was as a colorful bohemian character." The magazine contained poems (many from Ishill's wife, Rose), book reviews, and essays on anarchist and libertarian topics. Six numbers were published during 1925. Ishill abandoned the work of the magazine on the advice of his good friend the historian Max Nettlau (1865-1944), who encouraged him to concentrate his efforts on other publications.
The Path Of Joy, Published and Printed by the Pupils of the Modern School, Stelton, N.J. v. 1, no. 1, August 1916.
According to Ishill, a pioneer of the Stelton Colony, "this was one of my very first adventures with the Ferrer School of Stelton." Written, composed, and printed entirely by the children, this is a very rare item.
In his letter to the reader, editor Ray Miller, age 13, commented, "for many months we have not published it, but now with our friend Ishill's help we intend to have a better one, than we ever had before."
Voice Of The Children, Written, Printed & Illustrated by the Children of the Modern School, Stelton, N.J., January 1925.
The essay shown here, written by Ishill and typeset by Valieo Kenner, is the only one of its kind in this magazine. Like the previous Path of Joy, this magazine was produced entirely by the children of the Modern School. This is the final booklet which Ishill helped the children of the Modern School produce.
