He was first and foremost an artist. Flipping through copies of decades old issues of the Presto Press, one quickly sees the artistry on nearly every page, including beautifully executed front covers. Donald C. Jason would probably be pleased to see that his work is still appreciated today with the sale of duplicate back issues over this past weekend.
When Jason passed away, family members had the daunting task of liquidating everything that remained in his residence and former printing warehouse in the heart of the Mattapoisett village. Through that process, his niece Sharon Hartley came into possession of some 26 boxes of Presto Press issues.
Those issues she donated to the Mattapoisett Library. The library’s director, Susan Pizzolato, appreciated receiving this treasure trove of local history, but knew that having the collection digitized was the way to go.
With the help of the Mattapoisett Historical Society, the donated issues were warehoused in a climate-controlled environment while the digitizing process could take place.
“It was a natural collaboration between the library and the society,” Pizzolato said.
She explained that the Massachusetts Board of Library Commission, through federal funding, paid for the digitization.
“There was no expense to the town,” she explained. But, in the meantime, until the digitizing process could be completed, Pizzolato knew the importance of properly storing the newspapers.
“The society stepped in and paid for the storage while the digitizing was taking place,” said Pizzolato. More than 80,000 pages will soon be available to the public via the Internet.
On Sunday, September 28, duplicate copies were sold to offset the expense incurred by the Historical Society.
People poured over the stacks searching for copies that contained a bit of lost memory now found. Family moments from their lives, like a child’s participation in a school play, or a few lines noting an achievement were sought, or a photograph long since forgotten would now go home forever.
But it’s Jason’s artwork that is most evident on page after page, demonstrating a love of expression in everything from couples dancing on the wharves to automobiles for sale.
Pizzolato plans to have a link placed on the Town’s homepage, as well as the library’s website, giving folks near and far the opportunity to return to a time gone by.
From the early 1950s until the early 1990s, Jason printed his local publication in the heart of the village. I’m sure he’d be pleased to know that a complete set of hardcopies is now available at the library, staying right in the heart of the village he imaged time and again in his drawings, while a virtual set can now travel the globe.
Visit www.mattapoisett.net in the coming weeks to access the Presto Press online.
By Marilou Newell
