Art Publishing Pioneer and Entrepreneur Robert L. Lewin Dies at 96

The American philosopher William James wrote, "The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it." There is simply no way to estimate how many lives art publishing giant Robert L. Lewin has and will continue to influence for the better by his own life well spent. Guest book messages may be left at www.millpond.com. For more information, contact The Mill Pond Press Companies at 800-535-0331.

Venice, FL (PRWEB) July 30, 2007 - Robert L. Lewin, founder of limited edition art print publisher Mill Pond Press, has died at 96.

Lewin's legacy to the causes of art and conservation is immeasurable. He was deeply committed to conservation, long before the cause came into vogue. Mill Pond Press in Venice, FL, the company he founded in 1973, ostensibly as a retirement project, became a world leader in the publication of limited edition fine art prints. This venture coupled his appreciation of art with his profound love of nature.

Because of Lewin's vision, millions discovered the pleasure of owning art prints depicting a broad range of subjects, most notably, wildlife art. Thanks to his tireless efforts and expansive vision, more than $10 million was raised for conservation organizations through the sale of special fund-raising editions that aided The World Center for Birds of Prey/Peregrine Fund, The Roger Tory Peterson Institute, the World Wildlife Fund, The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Wildlife Habitat Canada, The National Wildlife Federation and many others.

Mill Pond Press began when Robert Lewin was 62, and was something that he and his wife would do on a part-time basis. It quickly became a consuming interest. The couple began by publishing the wildlife paintings of two dear friends, the late Dr. Roger Tory Peterson, America's most-honored artist/naturalist, and Maynard Reece, the only five-time winner of the Federal duck stamp competition. Their idea met with great success, their "part-time" company grew rapidly, and soon, art lovers the world over collected prints by Peterson and Reece, in addition to luminaries such as Robert Bateman, Carl Brenders, Paul Calle, Guy Coheleach, Peter Ellenshaw, Nita Engle, Fred Machetanz and many others.

While at the helm of Mill Pond Press, Robert Lewin is most remembered for his uncompromising integrity and absolute insistence on quality. He worked well into his 80s, recalling: "We never realized that the company was growing the way it did. We were just busy. We were happy with what we were doing. It never seemed to be work."

His labors were recognized and honored over the years. In 1990 the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, WY, honored him with the prestigious Rungius Medal for his outstanding lifetime contributions in promoting awareness of wildlife and habitat. In 1982, the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, WI, recognized him with the LYWAM Service Award for his "considerable and unselfish contributions to bird art and for his generous and unwavering support."

Lewin was a founding trustee of The Roger Tory Peterson Institute and an emeritus member of The Explorers Club of New York. U.S. Art magazine named the Lewins "Pioneering Publishers" in 1994.

Among many notable career achievements, he and his wife founded Springbok Editions, a very successful company that revolutionized the world of jigsaw puzzles with the concept of round puzzles, exceptional quality standards, and by introducing fine museum art as puzzle subjects (including work by Jackson Pollock and Salvador Dali). Hallmark acquired Springbok in 1967, and the Association of Game and Puzzle Collectors presented the Lewins with the Spilsbury Award in 2004.

Formerly of Rye, NY, and Sarasota, FL, Robert Lewin was born in Grand Rapids, MI, and raised in Chicago, IL. He served as a First Lieutenant in the U.S Army Counter Intelligence Service. With a sales background in high quality commercial offset printing for large corporations and conservation organizations, he served as vice president for several large printing companies.

During this period, he founded Tested Recipe Institute, operated from the penthouse at 42nd and Fifth in New York City (known as the Kitchen in the Clouds). Together with his home economists, he published a line of cookbooks, including a best-selling barbeque book formatted to introduce men to the revolutionary concept of outdoor cooking, something that has since become an American tradition.

His interests were many and varied, and he possessed an undiminished enthusiasm for life as well as a boundless imagination. An avid reader, he especially enjoyed business histories and his daily companion, The New York Times. An eager and tireless traveler to every corner of the globe, he once described his wanderlust as having "sand in my shoes." If he declared something was "the best in the world," no one could dispute him.

Robert L. Lewin is survived by his wife of 63 years, Mill Pond co-founder Katherine ("Katie"), daughter, Laurie Lewin Simms, and son, Richard Lewin, three grandchildren and a sister. Services were private. Condolences may be sent to the Lewin family c/o Mill Pond Press, 310 Center Court, Venice, FL 34285. Those who wish may make donations in memory of Robert L. Lewin to The Peregrine Fund, 5668 West Flying Hawk Lane, Boise, ID 83709.

The American philosopher William James wrote, "The great use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it." There is simply no way to estimate how many lives art publishing giant Robert L. Lewin has and will continue to influence for the better by his own life well spent. Guest book messages may be left at www.millpond.com. For more information, contact The Mill Pond Press Companies at 800-535-0331.

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