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Leila Lyons' "Collecting Prints" Featured in the San Francisco Chronicle
February 15, 2006
The San Francisco Chronicle
Hot Stuff
by Laura Thomas
Primer on printmaking
Antique-print expert Leila Lyons started collecting in the heyday of modernism in the 1950s, when graphic designs were more popular. In the 38 years since then, as Lyons assembled a collection of more than 600,000 prints, the fascination with modernism has waned and returned.
Now she has set her knowledge down in a book for the Random House "Instant Expert" series called "Collecting Prints" ($14.95), which will be released today.
"This book is meant to introduce the reader to the kinds of things that have helped our family over the years as we experienced the great joy of building and living with our own personal print collection," Lyons said.
She began Lyons Ltd. Antique Prints in 1968 with her late husband, Charles, who headed the drama departments at both UC Berkeley and Stanford University, and she now has a large gallery showroom at the Town & Country Village in Palo Alto.
In the booklet, she says, "you will find a brief history of graphics, the processes and terms used in printing, as well as helpful direction on collecting, caring for and evaluating your purchases."
The Lyons' collection includes etchings, engravings and lithographs dating from 1490 to 1920 on a range of subjects, including architecture, maps, botanicals, birds, city views, children's illustrations and more.
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