Redstone Press is a

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

-based art book publisher that was founded in 1986 by Julian Rothenstein, the son of English portrait painter

Duffy Ayers Betty Mona Desmond Ayers (née FitzGerald; 19 September 1915 – 10 November 2017), known as Duffy Ayers, was an English portrait painter. She was known for most of her life by the nickname "Duffy". Born in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, one o ...

and her first husband, the painter and printmaker

Michael Rothenstein William Michael Rothenstein (19 March 1908 – 6 July 1993) was a British printmaker, painter and art teacher. Early life Born in Hampstead, London, on 19 March 1908, he was the youngest of four children born to the celebrated artist, Sir W ...

. Publisher Julian Rothenstein, who has been called "a one-man art movement", is also the press's editor and designer.

History

The first Redstone Press book was of drawings by the publisher's father as a child prodigy"Julian Rothenstein, Publisher"
''Spitalfields Life'', 11 December 2013. in 1912–17, entitled ''Drawing Book''. In the words of '' Eye'' magazine: "A softbound book in a black paper portfolio, it was beautiful and quirky, perfectly pitched to delight eye and mind together. The same qualities have distinguished Redstone's subsequent output." Other early productions include visual books in boxes, such as

Frans Masereel Frans Masereel (31 July 1889 – 3 January 1972) was a Flemish painter and graphic artist who worked mainly in France, known especially for his woodcuts focused on political and social issues, such as war and capitalism. He completed over ...

's ''Passionate Journey'' (1988), a novel told in 165 woodcuts, with an Introduction by

Thomas Mann Paul Thomas Mann ( , ; ; 6 June 1875 – 12 August 1955) was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. His highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novella ...

; ''Images of Frida Kahlo'' with an introduction by

Angela Carter Angela Olive Pearce (formerly Carter, Stalker; 7 May 1940 – 16 February 1992), who published under the name Angela Carter, was an English novelist, short story writer, poet, and journalist, known for her feminist, magical realism, and picar ...

; and

Osip Mandelstam Osip Emilyevich Mandelstam ( rus, Осип Эмильевич Мандельштам, p=ˈosʲɪp ɨˈmʲilʲjɪvʲɪtɕ mənʲdʲɪlʲˈʂtam; – 27 December 1938) was a Russian and Soviet poet. He was one of the foremost members of the Acm ...

's ''Journey to Armenia'' with an introduction by

Bruce Chatwin Charles Bruce Chatwin (13 May 194018 January 1989) was an English travel writer, novelist and journalist. His first book, ''In Patagonia'' (1977), established Chatwin as a travel writer, although he considered himself instead a storyteller, i ...

. ''The Redstone Diary'', started in 1989, is now considered a "cult product", with

Ian Sansom Ian Edward Sansom (born 3 December 1966 in Essex, England) is the author of the Mobile Library Mystery Series. As of 2016, he has written four books in a series that will comprise a projected forty-four novels. He is a frequent contributor to, a ...

writing in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'': "There may be no great diarists, then, but there are still great diaries. By far the best is the legendary Redstone Diary….In the midst of one's self-obsessions, the Redstone Diary reminds one of other worlds." It is an annual spiral-bound desk diary that "usually delivers a quirky collection of literary and graphic ephemera based around a single theme, such as ‘Daring!’ (2003), ‘The Artist’s World’ (2011) and ‘The Senses' (2012)." Self-defined as "the publishers of surprising books and games", Redstone Press have published numerous books on psychology, including ''Psychobox'' (with an introduction by

Jonathan Miller Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller CBE (21 July 1934 – 27 November 2019) was an English theatre and opera director, actor, author, television presenter, humourist and physician. After training in medicine and specialising in neurology in the late 19 ...

), ''Psychogames'', ''The Redstone Inkblot Test'' and ''Psychobook'' (with an introduction by

Lionel Shriver Lionel Shriver (born Margaret Ann Shriver; May 18, 1957) is an American author and journalist who lives in the United Kingdom. Her novel '' We Need to Talk About Kevin'' won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2005. Early life and education Shriver ...

). Other titles include ''The Blind Photographer'' (2016), a compilation co-edited by Rothenstein with Mel Gooding, that was described as "the first of its kind" by '' World of Interiors'', whose review concluded: "Summing up the book’s lucid, generous ethos is a quote by

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

, placed on its cover. 'Visions are not seen purely by the eyes but through the spirit.' ''The Blind Photographer'', challenging our assumptions, shows that blindness does not stop sight." More recently, Redstone published the book ''Black Lives 1900: W.E.B. Du Bois at the Paris Exposition'' (accompanying an exhibition at the House of Illustration from 8 November 2019 to 1 March 2020, curated by

Paul Goodwin Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chris ...

and Katie McCurrach, featuring the pioneering infographics of W. E. B. Du Bois from the 1900 Paris Exposition), edited by Julian Rothenstein, and with an Introduction by Jacqueline Francis and Stephen G. Hall, a Foreword by

David Adjaye Sir David Frank Adjaye (born 22 September 1966) is a Ghanaian-British architect. He is known for having designed many notable buildings around the world, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C ...

and contribution from

Henry Louis Gates Jr Henry Louis "Skip" Gates Jr. (born September 16, 1950) is an American literary critic, professor, historian, and filmmaker, who serves as the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African and African Am ...

. According to the review in ''Black History Month'' magazine, "Black Lives is a book of black history that has contemporary relevance to the black lives of people across the globe."

References

{{Reflist, 30em

External links

"Julian Rothenstein, Publisher"
Spitalfields Life, 11 December 2013. Book publishing companies based in London Publishing companies of the United Kingdom Publishing companies established in 1986 1986 establishments in England Small press publishing companies