Librarian’s Cache: Lloyd J. Reynolds and Weathergrams

Weathergrams by Lloyd J. Reynolds

This month I want to elaborate a little on the career of Lloyd Reynolds, the poet and calligrapher who created Weathergrams, featured in a recent THF Book of the Week posting.

Lloyd J. Reynolds (1902–1978) was an American calligrapher and professor at Reed College (1929–1969) who taught classes on creative writing, art, and calligraphy. He studied Botany, Forestry and English in Oregon universities, then started at Reed College in 1929 in the English Department, teaching creative writing. He then began teaching classes on art history and graphic arts. Reynolds’ classes continued for several decades, and his students included Gary Snyder, Philip Whalen, Peter Norton, Charles Bigelow, David Eddings, Willard McCarty, Kris Holmes, Sumner Stone and Steve Jobs. Reynolds also began the teaching of calligraphy classes at Reed, and retired from Reed and his last class in 1969. In 1954, Reynolds was targeted in the House Un-American Activities Committee, as were two other Reed professors. He reportedly refused to testify at the hearing.

Reynolds was named Calligrapher Laureate of Oregon by Governor Tom McCall in 1972. He died in October 1978.

The Reed College Special Collections houses the Lloyd J. Reynolds Collection. The Cooley Gallery hosted the exhibition “Lloyd Reynolds: A Life of Forms in Art” in 2011.

In 1968, Reynolds was selected by the Men Who Teach series to make 20 half-hour TV programs on italic calligraphy and handwriting for the Oregon Education Television Service. For anyone interested in learning calligraphy from a master, these programs are available for viewing on YouTube.

Enjoy the read.

Garry Eaton
THF Digital Librarian

Garry Eaton is the Digital Librarian for The Haiku Foundation. On the first Wednesday of each month he will highlight some part of the Foundation’s holdings.