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Vamp & Tramp merges with califia to focus exclusively on press books by Heavenly Monkey

People in the world of fine press and artists’ books were surprised by the recent news that Califia Books had not only been purchased, but moved across the country from its longtime home of San Francisco. Over the last 20 years, Califia has established a reputation as one of North America's major dealers in contemporary fine press and artists' books. In addition to a small gallery in the city's center, Califia maintained an exhaustive Web site with pages devoted to each of the more than 200 presses and artists represented, and enjoyed strong connections to private and institutional collectors. Many of Califia's roster and customers were surprised when the business was purchased and integrated with the new owners’ existing business in Alabama. But this was not the plan Bill and Vicky Stewart, of Birmingham’s Vamp & Tramp Booksellers, had when they first entered discussions with Califia owner Edwina Leggett. In a recent exchange with HM, Bill Stewart describes how events unfolded, and his plans for the newly combined operation.

Q Heavenly Monkey: Late last year, Vamp & Tramp negotiated the purchase of Califia books. Can you tell me how this came about, and why you were interested? What does Califia bring that you don’t already do or have?

A Bill Stewart: Edwina introduced herself to us at the 2003 ABAA Book Fair in San Francisco. I had never met her or talked to her, but knew the reputation of Califia. She suggested I come by Califia, and so I stayed an extra few days after the fair to visit. Later that day I was driving down the coast road toward Santa Cruz, and I thought, ‘Good God, she’s thinking of selling.’ I pulled off the road, used my cell phone to call her, and asked, "Is Califia for sale?" Her reply, "I don’t know." About 10 days later, we received a letter in Birmingham from Edwina, saying that she was ready to talk about the possibility of our buying her business.

I was interested for many reasons. First, Califia has for 20 years been selling fine press and artists’ books. It had a reputation, a stable of artists and presses - some that we already represented but many different - and a client list. Acquiring Califia, I thought and think, would give us access to these plus cachet that would take us years to build on our own. Second, I wanted a presence on the West Coast.

Q HM: What was your initial idea for the purchase, and how have things worked out in fact? What’s the current status?

A BS: My original intention was to keep running Califia from its site in the Crown Point Press Building on Hawthorne Street in San Francisco. Vicky and I were going to keep Vamp & Tramp open in Birmingham and shuttle back and forth until it became clear how to make the two sites work, or perhaps if we could do the bi-coastal thing. We did consider just leaving Birmingham and moving to San Francisco, but there were personal and financial arguments against that.
We were operating under this bi-coastal premise until mid-summer, when Kathan Brown of Crown Point informed Edwina that she would need the Califia space for Crown Point. I don’t know what prompted Kathan’s decision, but for whatever reason, Califia had lost its lease. And that lease had been a very, very good (read: inexpensive) lease, given the location. When we then tried to find a replacement location, it became apparent that we would not be able to pay going rates and make the business work. We were then faced with a decision: give up the idea entirely or move Califia to Birmingham. Obviously, we chose the latter. It was too good an opportunity to pass up.
And then we had another crucial decision. For four years, Vamp & Tramp had operated an open book and art gallery in Birmingham. In the way of books, we carried genuine antiquarian books, modern firsts, Alabama history, children’s books, and so forth. Fine press and artists’ books, while commanding a lot of attention, were never a big seller, so we carried the other things to support our addiction with them. Our lease was due to expire in January 2004. We'd hoped to extend the lease for a year at most but that wasn't possible, so we regretfully decided to close the shop and work from an office. At that point, there was nothing definite about Califia.
In December, we completed the deal to buy Califia. That month we also closed the gallery, divested ourselves of 4,000 more or less rare books, and moved to office much nearer our home, from where we will sell only fine press and artists' books (can you hear the shouts of joy?) by catalog, through a Web site, at selected fairs (mostly major fairs on both coasts), and - most importantly - by personal visits to private and institutional customers.
I regret removing Califia from its West Coast base. Having a presence on the West Coast was a major attraction for me. There is so much going on in the world of book arts, and a great deal of it is taking place on the West Coast. But we have made a commitment to make frequent visits to the West Coast so we don’t lose the connection, both with artists and with customers. We hope to do that in conjunction with places like the Center for the Book in San Francisco.

Q HM: Will Califia and Vamp & Tramp continue to be separate entities, or be merged into one?

A BS: We're in the process of integrating Califia into Vamp & Tramp, to operate as one entity: Vamp & Tramp, Booksellers, LLC. But we’ll keep the Califia name around for as long as it seems sensible. For example, once we revamp Califia’s Web site, both www.califiabooks.com and www.vampandtramp.com will point to the same site. But we won't be just, or even primarily, a Web business. Fine press and artists’ books can be fully appreciated only when they are available to see, to touch, to hear, to smell, (maybe) to taste. And you can’t get this just from a Web site or a catalog, no matter how good they may be.
It may seem that combining two concerns, indeed two of the few concerns that deal with fine press and artists’ books, is a net loss for the world of Book Arts. It’s our hope and intention to increase interest through exposure and education, and simply sell more books.

Q HM: Now that you're focusing primarily on press books, has your business model had to change? Will sales be on a commission basis, or do you actually buy the books upfront?

A BS: I had a fellow dealer come up to me at the New York ABAA Book Fair a few years ago, look at our display of contemporary fine press and artists’ books, and ask, "Why do you carry all this modern stuff? Because you like it?" When I recovered, I admitted that I did. But what was inherent in her question was this: Why do you sell only this material when you can’t make money from it? And I don’t mean big bucks and Madison Avenue/Union Square/Michigan Avenue shops. I mean enough to pay bills and support a modest lifestyle. When we started I didn’t have enough gumption, knowledge, experience, whatever to ask people to give us work on commission. But this policy had several major drawbacks. We couldn’t come near to buying and thus representing nearly all the worthy work we came across. If we didn’t have the cash in hand, we couldn’t buy. Much of our available cash was tied up in inventory, and we didn’t have the money to get the books before customers, to market them. So, because of the realities of the business, we're going to adopt what Califia has been doing for some time and move more to a commission basis.

Q HM: I know your first career was teaching, and Vicky was an information services executive. When did you two become booksellers, and how did press books came to be a particular interest?

A BS: I love, believe in, and can attest to the redeeming power of serendipity. If it hadn’t been for serendipity, we would still be wallowing in over-priced copies of underwritten novels, or standing in unending lines to get Z Is for Zero signed (but not inscribed). The first version of Vamp & Tramp, Booksellers was born in 1995, selling modern firsts and mysteries. But a few years later, after a discouraging day tramping the aisles of the ABAA Book Fair in San Francisco, I picked up an oversized production of Anthony & Cleopatra. It’s a play I used to teach, and I was desperate for comfort food. The book was hard-to-handle: it wasn’t bound, the paper was luscious but the format was so large that I needed an acre to turn the pages. I was about to give up - but then came to the first spread. To show you how intellectual and succinct I can be, my reaction, unrecorded but out loud, was a visceral "Wow."

I had in my hands the Anthony & Cleopatra published by Ron King and his Circle Press. Letterpress printed (I was later to discover), full of Ron’s exuberant art (I didn’t know a screenprint from Crayola), replete with his marginal notes (more legible and intelligent but similar in kind to the notes in my own books). I could go on raving, but I’d bet that many can relate similar experiences: spine chills, shallow breathing, only the symptoms are describable, not the experience. The world, in that moment, was a better place.
That was the beginning of a wonderful ride through the molehill mountains and the stone balloons of fine press and artists’ books. It’s a ride that becomes wilder and more gratifying with each new artist, each new press, each new edition. And now the ride is about to become even better.

Q HM: As someone so intimately involved in the press world, what are your thoughts about its state & where it is going? In terms of contemporary presses, is this a particularly interesting & active moment in time, or a lull?
 A BS: I see wonderful things happening in the world of press books and artists’ books. There is an immense deal of activity, on many levels. But I don’t think this means smooth sailing. I don’t see a time where press books and artists’ books will ever become a part mainstream culture. The trend of things these days is away from books in general.
There has always been a large part of the culture that looks askance at anything smacking of art or intellectualism, or at anything that has no practical use. At the same time I think - and I hope this just isn’t wishful thinking - there will be a reaction against the movement toward the impersonal, toward mass production, toward "anyone can do it" (paint like Picasso by number), toward reality shows that make everything public. The reaction will make press and artists’ books, work that is more personal, more individual, more intimate, even more appreciated.

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~ Rollin Milroy (Heavenly Monkey)