The Baltimore Catechism is an unintentional, imaginary revision of A Catechism of Christian Doctrine, Prepared and Enjoined by Order of The Third Plenary Council of Baltimore (1885) wherein the authors posit the most fundamental and absurd physical and metaphysical questions, and postulate ever more fundamental and absurd answers. Originally intended as just an artist’s book, the project quickly took on a much wider scope, begetting large-scale woodcuts and accompanying prints, a performance component, and hand-set letterpress posters and broadsides. It features incredible chicken people originally from Barnhard Brothers and Spindler Type Foundry.

The Baltimore Catechism was made possible by the Artist-in-Residence program at AS 220 in Providence, RI, in addition to substantial help from the following people and institutions: Ric Royer, Lara Henderson, Richard Kegler, James Rutter, P22 Type Foundry, the Western New York Book Arts Center, and Hodgins Engraving Company.

This book was letterpress printed on reclaimed Somerset Velvet Radiant White 255 gsm paper using a Vandercook T4 proofing press; it was digitally typeset using typefaces from P22 Type Foundry.

The wooden cases were laser etched and the front panel sheets were laser cut at AS 220 Labs in Providence, RI.

The Baltimore Catechism was written by Chris Fritton and Ric Royer in Baltimore, MD in 2010; it was designed, printed, and assembled by Chris Fritton in November 2012.