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OUR STORY

One mission for over thirty years.

In 1985 Thornwillow Press was founded by Luke Ives Pontifell who spent his summer vacations from Harvard College printing and hand-binding books.  What started as a labor of love has grown into one of the leading purveyors of fine books and custom stationery in the world, consolidating centuries of craft and technique under one roof in Newburgh, New York.

Since its founding, the Press has published over sixty editions.  We have been proud to publish original work by some of the world’s leading thinkers and artists, from newscaster Walter Cronkite and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Warren Burger, to novelist John Updike and poet James Merrill.

In 2015, the Thornwillow Institute was founded to promote and perpetuate art of craftsmanship in all its forms, especially related to the written word.  We believe that how we communicate and preserve ideas matters.  Objects you can touch, keep, and give are central to the identity of our culture.  These objects become the legacy of our society.  They memorialize our values, triumphs, challenges, and dreams.