Hafsteinn Guðmundsson, a book publisher, has been called the "father of printing in Iceland in the 20th century" and the first Icelandic master in typography and book design. Hafsteinn was 14 years old when he began studying in the fall of 1926 with Guðjón Ó. Guðjónsson at the Vestmannaeyja printing house, and from then on he worked in printing and book production, and was widely known throughout his long career. In 1940, the Icelandic Printers' Association published the publication Prentlistin fim hundruð ára . Hafsteinn was entrusted with the finishing of the book, and his drawings in the publication attracted admiration. Hafsteinn was the longest-serving director of a printing house, first at Prentsmiðjan Hólar and later at his own printing house, and then designed a myriad of printed materials. The book series he designed for Mál og menður were extremely tasteful, and no less so were the book series he designed for the Almenna bókafélagið. Hafsteinn was also an active book publisher and his publishing house, Þjóðsaga, published many gems of Icelandic literature and culture, such as collections of folk tales and a series of books on Icelandic folk culture. The choice of font, layout, paper and book binding were all carefully considered by Hafsteinn, who was an honorary member of the Icelandic Book Publishers Association and also an honorary doctorate at the University of Iceland. An exhibition of many of Hafsteinn's major works with an overview of his career is currently on display at the museum. The Book Publishers Association and the Icelandic Book Publishers Association are organizing the exhibition in collaboration with the National Library of Iceland – University Library and Hafsteinn's family.
Photo: Hafsteinn in the 1970s with Icelandic folk tales and adventures by Jón Árnason.