Made (by Hand) in the Midwest: The Contre Coup Press 1979–2019

Henry Morris once described a private press as “someone who prints books or ephemera related to his personal interests….” This was certainly true for Timothy “Tim” Hawley, whose Contre Coup Press (1979-2019) was clearly the avocation of a man whose interests and obsessions were expressed through the words he printed. Hawley writes in his annotated bibliography of the Press that he “first became aware of fine printing and private presses in the 1970s while living in St. Louis, Missouri.” Hawley, who has a PhD in clinical psychology from Washington University in St. Louis, had a long career as a practicing psychologist. For him, printing was a hobby, and as an autodidact, he learned through trial and error, having never studied with any established printers. Moreover, the works he printed were all small runs, most well under 25 copies. Many were not even for sale but were simply distributed by him to family, friends, and fellow printers.

The Contre Coup Press collection is from the Jean-François Vilain and Roger S. Wieck Collection of Private Presses, Ephemera, & Related References at the Kislak Center.

Curated by Lynne Farrington, Director of Programs and Senior Curator of Special Collections, Kislak Center.

Plan Your Visit

On view August 18 to December 12, 2025. This exhibition is free and open to the public. Displays are located in two areas on the 1st floor of the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center: in the Kamin Gallery and next to the Circulation desk (view floor plan).

Penn faculty, staff, and students must swipe their PennCard for access. Visitors from outside the Penn community must present a current, valid government or school-issued photo ID that contains an expiration date. Find more information to plan your visit.