To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Cameron + Company will be pouring martinis today, 3–4 p.m., at its booth (1223A) in the PGW section. The party also celebrates the 50th Anniversary Edition of The Drinking Man’s Diet, originally published in 1964 by the company’s founder, Robert Cameron.
“It was a huge cultural phenomenon,” says publisher Chris Gruener, “selling 2.4 million copies in 13 different languages. We’ve kept the book in its original format for the past 49 years and felt this was an opportunity to celebrate the book’s, and the company’s success by publishing a new edition that’s a bit more on the suave, cocktail, Mad Men–esque style of things.”
Gruener and his wife, Nina, purchased the company in 2009 from her grandfather, Robert Cameron. “It seemed a natural fit since I worked in publishing as a sales rep, we were in the family, and Robert was turning 98.” While best known for its books of aerial photography, including Above San Francisco, the Grueners have grown the list while determined to keep Cameron’s legacy alive. “We still put an emphasis on art and photography, but now include food and wine titles, children’s books, and publications of regional interest.”
Recent successes include such children’s titles as Kiki & Coco in Paris, an oversized picture book now in its third printing, and the follow-up book, Lulu & Pip, as well as Bay Area sports titles like Never. Say. Die., a photo book celebrating the 2012 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants.
Not surprisingly, owning a family-run publishing house has both difficulties and rewards. “The obvious challenges are time and money,” says Gruener. “It’s not the type of thing we leave at the office, and it’s a constant juggle trying to grow a small business while also raising two small kids who can often be found tearing apart the office or making photocopies of their hands. But there are very few vocations anymore where you get to touch and feel a finished product that you’ve been working on for years. It’s very gratifying.”
