Cheap Street Press

Cheap Street Press was a small American private publishing house established in 1980 and operated by the married couple George and Jan O'Nale from their rural home near New Castle, Virginia. Rather than functioning as a conventional commercial publisher, the press pursued a craft-oriented model centered on collectible editions of science-fiction and fantasy literature. Its books were generally issued in very small runs, commonly between 50 and 200 copies, and were signed and numbered for collectors. Prices could reach approximately $250 per copy, reflecting the labor and materials involved rather than mass-market demand. The press's distinctive identity came from its production methods. George O'Nale printed the books by hand using letterpress equipment, often on fine or handmade paper. Completed volumes were hand-bound in high-quality cloth or leather and frequently supplied in matching drop-back boxes. This combination of small print runs, author signatures, unusual physical materials, and elaborate binding placed Cheap Street Press within the tradition of the private press and fine-press movement, while its literary focus connected it to the specialist science-fiction and fantasy collecting community. Cheap Street selected authors largely on the basis of perceived literary quality and approached established or respected writers whose work suited the press's format. Its catalogue included works by Gregory Benford, Charles de Lint, Thomas M. Disch, Ursula K. Le Guin, Tanith Lee, Fritz Leiber, Anne McCaffrey, John Sladek, Howard Waldrop, Gene Wolfe, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, and Roger Zelazny. The list combined original or specially presented fiction with editions aimed at readers who valued the physical artifact as much as the text. The O'Nales maintained a highly private lifestyle in a sparsely populated part of Virginia. In 2002, they donated their collection of books and press materials to Tulane University, preserving an institutional record of the press's work. In spring 2003, the couple died by suicide, reportedly citing worsening health problems. Following their deaths, Cheap Street Press ceased to operate as an active publishing enterprise. Its books remain of interest to collectors of private-press production, signed science-fiction and fantasy editions, and finely bound twentieth-century literature.

Cheap Street Press emerged in 1980 as a small private publishing operation run by George and Jan O'Nale at their rural home near New Castle, Virginia. Its scale, ownership structure, and production methods distinguished it from mainstream publishing. The press was effectively a husband-and-wife workshop: George handled the physical printing, while the couple together managed the selection, preparation, and release of books. The press concentrated on science fiction and fantasy, but it approached those genres through the standards of the fine press rather than through conventional paperback or hardcover distribution. Editions were deliberately scarce, generally numbering between 50 and 200 copies. Books were signed and numbered, which made each issue a defined collectible edition. The O'Nales selected writers whom they regarded as exceptional in literary quality and approached them for projects suitable for presentation as finely made books. Production was labor-intensive. George printed the texts by hand using letterpress techniques, often on fine or handmade paper. The finished books were hand-bound in cloth or leather and could be accompanied by matching drop-back boxes. These methods gave the publications a tactile and visual character uncommon in ordinary genre publishing. The resulting books served both as literary editions and as material artifacts for collectors. Their reported prices, reaching as high as approximately $250 per copy, reflected limited supply, hand craftsmanship, and specialized demand. Cheap Street's catalogue brought together a notable group of science-fiction and fantasy authors. Representative titles included Gregory Benford's At the Double Solstice, Charles de Lint's Paperjack, Thomas M. Disch's Torturing Mr. Amberwell, Ursula K. Le Guin's The Adventures of Cobble's Rune, Tanith Lee's The Beautiful Biting Machine, Fritz Leiber's Ervool, Anne McCaffrey's The Girl Who Heard Dragons, John Sladek's Red Noise, Howard Waldrop's Flying Saucer Rock and Roll, Gene Wolfe's The Arimaspian Legacy, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's On Saint Hubert's Thing, and Roger Zelazny's A Rhapsody in Amber. The press also issued The Complete Twelve Hours of the Night under the pseudonym William Ashbless, a name associated with James Blaylock and Tim Powers. The O'Nales lived in a relatively isolated area of the Virginia countryside and were described as private or hermitic in their habits. Their approach was consistent with the intimate, self-contained nature of the press: Cheap Street was not a large commercial organization with broad distribution, but a specialized workshop producing a small number of carefully made editions. In 2002, the O'Nales donated their collection of books and press materials to Tulane University. The donation helped preserve examples of the press's output and the equipment or archival material associated with its production. In spring 2003, George and Jan O'Nale died by suicide, reportedly attributing their decision to increasing health problems. With the deaths of its operators, Cheap Street Press ceased active operations. Its surviving books and archival materials remain relevant to collectors, bibliographers, and researchers studying private presses, fine bindings, and the history of speculative-fiction publishing.

• 2003

  Operations end after the deaths of the O'Nales

  [1]Cheap Street Pressen.wikipedia.org

  George and Jan O'Nale die by suicide in spring 2003, bringing the active publishing history of Cheap Street Press to a close.

• 2002

  Collection and press materials are donated to Tulane University

  [1]Cheap Street Pressen.wikipedia.org

  The O'Nales donate their Cheap Street books and press materials to Tulane University for preservation.

• 1980

  Cheap Street Press is established

  [1]Cheap Street Pressen.wikipedia.org

  George and Jan O'Nale establish the small press and operate it from their rural home near New Castle, Virginia.

• 1980

  The press adopts a fine-press publishing model

  [1]Cheap Street Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Cheap Street develops a catalogue model based on scarce, signed and numbered science-fiction and fantasy editions, with hand letterpress printing and hand binding.

A craft-led private press specializing in scarce, signed and numbered science-fiction and fantasy editions, differentiated by hand letterpress printing, fine paper, elaborate hand binding, and presentation boxes.

• Limited-edition fantasy book

  The Adventures of Cobble's Rune

  A fine-press edition of a fantasy work by Ursula K. Le Guin. It represents Cheap Street's practice of presenting established speculative-fiction authors in scarce, signed and numbered physical editions.

• Limited-edition fantasy and science-fiction book

  The Girl Who Heard Dragons

  Cheap Street's edition of a work by Anne McCaffrey, produced within the press's collectible format of small print runs and fine physical manufacture.

• Limited-edition science-fiction and fantasy book

  The Arimaspian Legacy

  A Cheap Street edition associated with Gene Wolfe. The title illustrates the press's focus on literary speculative fiction and its preference for carefully made collector editions.

• Limited-edition fantasy book

  A Rhapsody in Amber

  A finely produced Cheap Street edition of a work by Roger Zelazny, issued as part of the press's small-run, signed and numbered catalogue.

• Limited-edition science-fiction book

  At the Double Solstice

  A Cheap Street Press edition by Gregory Benford, representative of the publisher's emphasis on respected science-fiction writers and premium hand-produced formats.

• Limited-edition fantasy book

  Paperjack

  An edition of Charles de Lint's work published by Cheap Street Press. Like other titles from the house, it was intended for specialist readers and collectors rather than mass distribution.

• Literary pamphlet

  The Complete Twelve Hours of the Night

  A Cheap Street pamphlet published under the name William Ashbless, a pseudonym associated with James Blaylock and Tim Powers. It broadened the press's output beyond full-length collectible books.

• 2002

  Transfer the press archive to Tulane UniversityOther

  Background

  The O'Nales sought to preserve their collection and the material history of their publishing workshop.

  Action taken

  They donated their books and press materials to Tulane University.

  Aftermath

  The donation established an institutional home for surviving examples and materials connected with Cheap Street Press.

  Source

• 1980

  Adopt a scarce fine-press publishing strategyStrategy

  Background

  The O'Nales operated Cheap Street as a small private press rather than pursuing mass-market circulation.

  Action taken

  They issued signed and numbered science-fiction and fantasy books in small runs, using hand letterpress printing, fine paper, hand binding, and presentation boxes.

  Aftermath

  The strategy created a distinctive collector-oriented identity and made the press's books notable for their craftsmanship and scarcity.

  Source

1. 1Cheap Street Pressen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association obituary referencesfwa.org