Four locals, all with publishing experience, have teamed up to revitalize the 52-year-old independent Purple Mountain Press (PMP), a publisher of local and regional New York State history books located in the Catskills.
Brett Barry, Rebecca Rego Barry, Carolyn Bennett, and Lee Hudson took ownership of the press last month, they said in an announcement sent to the New York Almanack.
“All are enthusiastic to explore and expand PMP’s deep and impressive backlist of books on New York State history and to share with readers the incredible body of knowledge created by this press,” the announcement said. “Independent publishers are an absolutely crucial link to our regional and natural histories, and Purple Mountain Press is such an important example of that.”
The Press has specialized in books about the Catskills, Hudson Valley, Adirondacks, Lake George, and Mohawk and Champlain Valleys, particularly related to Colonial history, the Revolutionary War, the natural environment, folklore, Native Americans, maritime history, regional culture, and railroads.
These include notable books by Alf Evers, Russ Bellico and Shirley Dunn among many others.
T
he current stable of authors includes regional natural history experts as Robert and Johanna Titus, Michael Kudish, and cultural historians Bill Birns, Dana Cudmore, Tim Duerden, Shirley Dunn, Diane Galusha, Ray LaFever, Carleton Mabee, Bob Steuding, Tim Todish, and Sandra Weber.
Moving forward, the Press has plans to issue new editions of select previously published titles, in different formats with fresh art and introductory material, as well as introduce new books.
The new owners say they want to connect with authors, booksellers, librarians, and museum professionals.
A Historic Local Press Looks Ahead
Purple Mountain Press is itself historic. Founded in 1973 by Wray and Loni Rominger in the village of Fleischmanns, Delaware County, NY, PMP initially published titles about the surrounding Catskills and nearby Hudson Valley, but extended the house’s scope to other regions of New York.
As for its whimsical name – there is no Purple Mountain in the Catskills, after all – Wray was inspired by a dispute with his third-grade teacher, who criticized his drawing of purple mountains – mountains he later found in the Catskills.
Washington Irving found Purple Mountains in the Catskills from a boat on the Hudson River, describing the landscape “now almost melting into hazy distance, now burnished by the setting sun, until in the evening they painted themselves against the glowing sky in the deep purple of an Italian landscape.”
“Taking the reins of this historic press is both thrilling and a little terrifying,” said Rebecca Rego Barry. “I remember when I first started visiting the Catskills in the mid-90s, seeing the Purple Mountain Press sign in Fleischmanns and wondering if maybe I could work there one day. Well, that day has come!”
Purple Mountain Press, a majority woman-owned business, has just unveiled a new logo for future publications and is expected to announce new editions and titles this spring.
A launch party is planned in the old PMP building, now The Print House bar, later this year.
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See more stories about Purple Mountain Press.
Shelfie of some current Purple Mountain Press book titles, logo and book cover illustration provided.
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