Archives West Finding Aid

Doug Stow was born on December 21, 1949 in Evansville, Indiana and educated at Michigan State University. In 1980, Stow purchased a Chandler & Price Pilot press, believing it would be nice to print his wife Margaret's linocut work. After setting up the press, Doug began reading Polk's manual on elementary printing. He also recieved hands-on training from George Witman of San Francisco in printing and composing. As Stow's skills improved, he was employed by Witman for letterpress work. In 1982 Stow printed a booklet titled "Plum Pudding" for the Wodehouse Society of which he was a member. The Wodehouse Society sold out the booklet, and established a long-term relationship with Stow, who printed numerous items for the Society. In 1985, Doug and Margaret opened a retail store for greeting cards and gifts called the Paper Crane in Half Moon Bay, California. The Stows set up their press behind the counter and began printing business cards and other commercial jobs for local residents and busnesses. In the years after 1985, Stow and his Paper Crane Press printed materials for the Graphic Arts Workshop of San Francisco, the artists Elaine Hamilton, woodblock artist William Wolff, the Friends of William Stafford, the Sore Dove Press, and local poets and readers in Half Moon Bay. Many of Stow's poetry broadsides feature artwork by his wife Margaret and his son Robert. Stow died December 1, 2015; Margaret and Robert continue to operate the press. This collection includes everything printed by Stow and the Paper Crane Press through 2012.