Abigail Rorer
Artist, Engraver, Publisher
ABIGAIL RORER
Abigail Rorer is a highly regarded American wood engraver, illustrator, and fine press publisher, best known for her meticulous craftsmanship and deep engagement with the natural world. Trained as an artist with a strong foundation in drawing, she discovered engraving as an ideal medium to capture the detail, texture, and spirit of plants, animals, and landscapes. Over the past several decades, Rorer has established herself as one of the leading contemporary engravers working in the tradition of fine press bookmaking, drawing inspiration from both classic natural history illustration and her own careful observation of living subjects.
In 1989, she founded The Lone Oak Press, a private press dedicated to producing finely made limited-edition books that marry text, design, and original engravings. Rorer serves as both artist and publisher, overseeing every stage of production: selecting and editing texts, designing the page, engraving the illustrations, and collaborating with printers, papermakers, and binders to achieve harmony between image and form. Lone Oak Press publications are known for their elegance and restraint, often exploring themes of natural history, literature, and the environment. Notable projects include books on the lives of animals and plants, collaborations with poets and essayists, and special commissions that showcase her engravings alongside classic texts.
Rorer’s work has been exhibited widely, collected by libraries and museums, and recognized with numerous honors in the book arts community. She is respected not only for the technical mastery of her engraving but also for her commitment to the fine press tradition at a time when it remains a specialized, labor-intensive art form. Through Lone Oak Press, she has built a body of work that is both beautiful and thoughtful, affirming the enduring value of hand craftsmanship and the printed book.
Her engravings, whether seen as individual prints or within the context of her press’s editions, reflect a lifelong devotion to art, nature, and the craft of letterpress publishing.
