Lost Art Press

The Jungian Thing (a Quick Anthe Update)

Posted on by Lost Art Press

Last week an amazing thing happened a block away from the Anthe Building (the site of our new headquarters). Workers began removing the ugly brick cladding from a building at the corner of Fourth Street and Scott Boulevard. What was below the brick was a link to our family’s past.

Lucy’s family ran the chain of Grote Drugstores in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati in the 20th century. They had two stores in Covington. One was at the corner of Pike Street and Madison Ave., what is now The Hannaford, a trendy bar. 

The other store was at Fourth Street and Scott Boulevard. But Jane May nee Grote (Lucy’s mom) couldn’t remember exactly which corner it was on – the area has changed a lot.

On Sunday, Lucy and I visited the construction site at Fourth and Scott. The work had revealed a gorgeous storefront that still had some intact glass. Two windows said “Prescriptions” and one said “Hy-Pure Drugs,” an old brand.

I showed Jane the photos and she confirmed that yup, that was the drugstore her father owned and ran. Jane said she worked the lunch counter there when she was 15 or 16 and would fill in for the employees who were on vacation. The lunch counter was inexpensive, close to the courthouse and a quick place to get a bite.

It also is one block from the Anthe Building. We are thrilled that the drugstore storefront is coming back to life and can’t wait to see what it will be in its next life. 

— Christopher Schwarz

Anthe Building Update No. 3

Posted on by Lost Art Press
The third floor with the not-to-code partitions taken down.

During the last few weeks there has been so much going on at the Anthe Building I don’t know where to start. We are now waiting on permits and inspections (we passed our first electrical inspection last week), so things are at a bit of a lull, which is frustrating and welcome.

Here are some highlights:

HVAC: On and running. I’ve installed humidity monitors throughout the building to get a sense of where we are. The building has never had air conditioning (OK, there was one window unit for all four floors). And we’ve sprayed hundreds of gallons of water to clean the walls and floors. So things are moist. Right now the relative humidity is at 45 percent. That’s OK, but I think/hope we will get it in the 30s, which will be the ideal environment for storing books.

Some adhesion testing going on.

The Floor: For the last couple weeks, the first floor looked like the LAP Chicken Ranch. Our contractor spread five garbage bags of planer shavings to continue soaking up any oil on the floor. It worked (though my neatnik urges were tingling). This week, Megan and I will apply a finish. I’ve been doing adhesion tests with shellac and oil-based varnish to see what combination of finishes will work best for us. Mostly, we’re trying to keep the small amount of remaining oil on the floor off of our shoes. 

Electrical: The electrician removed all the unnecessary conduit and boxes that powered the lathes and mills. Plus they dismantled the dozen fluorescent light fixtures on the first floor from the 1980s. He replaced them with a handful of low-profile LED fixtures. Now we can see the lineshaft in all its glory.

The fulfillment center. Looking from the rear of the building toward the storefront (now covered in a blue tarp).
Looking toward the back of the fulfillment center. The flags mark areas that need repairs (we have a soft spot for flags).

Rough framing: We have some stud walls up for the bathroom and the partition between the storefront and the fulfillment area. But we are waiting for the county’s permission to add drywall (as a firebreak) then the beadboard. Speaking of beadboard, the painter has been painting and glazing ours off-site. We need a lot more beadboard than we salvaged, so the painters are matching the color and the grime from the existing walls.

Upstairs: While we wait for permits and inspections, the crew has dismantled some of the 1970s-era partitions on the second and third floors. This has opened up the space and given us views that are making my brain tick as we plan our future work there.

The elevator: No progress.

The timeline: If our permits and inspections come through this week, we hope to occupy the building in mid-July. That’s a bit optimistic, but that’s how we roll.

— Christopher Schwarz

LAP Open Wire with Joshua Klein, June 17, 2023

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Joshua Klein. Photo from the Mortise & Tenon website.

Today for our Open Wire session we have Joshua Klein, the founder of Mortise & Tenon Magazine, as our host. Joshua and his crew are as hardworking as they come. And so we were surprised when he volunteered to spend a Saturday answering reader questions.

Here’s how it works. Ask your question in the comments below. And Josh will post his response.

The comments will close for this post about 5 p.m. Eastern.

— Christopher Schwarz

Gibson Chair Video: Price Increases June 19

Posted on by fitz

The $50 introductory price of the “Video: Make a Gibson Chair with Christopher Schwarz” ends as of June 18; on Monday, June 19, the price will be $75.

Gibsons are quite unlike the other stick chairs Chris makes. And he has devised novel ways to use cheap lasers to make your life easier when building them (meaning you don’t have to build a lot of complicated jigs).

Chris and I spent a lot of May 2023 filming the process, condensing it into a video that:

  1. Will not waste your time. Chris dislikes prattling on and on in a video (and in life). He tried to make this video 100 percent meat – no gristle.
  2. Will show you how to build the chair and avoid common pitfalls. He has made a lot of mistakes while figuring out the Gibson. He is happy to show you his scars and detours.
  3. Is somewhat enjoyable to watch. In our video there are cats, self-deprecating jokes, the breaking of the fourth wall and other small amusements that will, we hope, keep you awake.
  4. Has the information you need. The video comes with all the patterns (hand-drawn by Chris) and cutting lists and sources so you will get up to speed quickly.

This chair is a good first chair. Yes, it’s a bit angular. But you can do it. You just have to commit.

This 3-hour video includes all the videos and all the drawings and patterns. All free of DRM (Digital Rights Management) so you can put the video on your laptop, iPad, phone and desktop with no restrictions.

You can read more about it here and order it if you like. After June 18, the price will be $75 forever.

For Sale: Bog Oak Comb-back Stick Chair

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I am almost out of bog oak. If I’m lucky, I’ll get two more chairs after this one from the stock I purchased with my friend Andy Brownell.

This seven-stick-comb-back is set up as an armchair – perfect for relaxing by the fire. 

Here are some statistics: The seat tilts back 4°, and the back tilts 12° back from the seat. The seat is 17” off the floor and is 16” deep. There is 19” between the arms. The chair’s overall height is 40”. My chairs are compact but strong. If you can fit between the arms, the chair will hold you just fine.

Like all my chairs, the joints are assembled with hide glue and oak wedges, so the joints are strong but can be easily repaired by future generations. The bog oak is finished with a home-cooked linseed oil/wax finish with a small amount of natural solvent. The finish offers low protection, but it is easy to repair by the owner with no special skills or tools.

The bog oak was harvested in Poland. We paid to have it dated by radio-carbon dating and it is more than 2,000 years old. The wood in this chair varies from a dark nutty brown to a coal black. 

Purchasing the Chair

This chair is being sold by silent auction. (I’m sorry but the chair cannot be shipped outside the U.S.) If you wish to buy the chair, send an email to lapdrawing@lostartpress.com before 3 p.m. (Eastern) on Tuesday, June 20. In the email please use the subject line “Bog Oak Chair” and include your:

  • Bid
  • First name and last name
  • U.S. shipping address
  • Daytime phone number (this is for the trucking quote only)

Shipping options: You are welcome to pick up the chair here in Covington, Ky., and also get a pencil. I am happy to deliver the chair personally for free within 100 miles of Cincinnati, Ohio. Or we can ship it to you via LTL. The cost varies (especially these days), but it is usually between $300 and $550.

— Christopher Schwarz