We are proud of our long and distinguished history. The Kirby story began in 1927, just prior to the Great Depression, when three friends joined resources and efforts to launch a printing firm in downtown Washington, DC.
By the early 1940's, Kirby's presence was an established driving force in the Washington, D.C., printing industry. It was during this era that the partners decided that a market niche existed in the printing of books. They specialized rather than compete in the general printing marketplace.
In 1979, Kirby Lithographic moved from its home in southwest Washington, DC to Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia, our current location. In the succeeding years, Kirby has directed all its resources and energy toward continuing to be the premiere book printing firm in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Today Kirby is guided by its third-generation leader, William Grant, Jr., the nephew of original partner Colonel Wallace Whitney Kirby.
Currently, as the only book printer conveniently located inside the Capital Beltway, Kirby Lithographic is the mainstay of the short-to-medium book business in the area.
View a video of Kirby's Unique History
View Kirby through the years, with an online photo gallery