One of 300 copies, octavo size, sixteen unpaginated leaves. The text of a lecture given in London by Fr. McNabb to the Catholic Poetry Society. ___DESCRIPTION: Bound in brown quarter-cloth over green paper covered boards, limitation page states, "300 copies have been printed by hand in Caslon 14 point Old Face type on Head's hand-made paper, January 1934. This is No. 255."; "Stones from the Brook: No. 1 Geoffrey Chaucer" (printed on the half-title); octavo size, (8" x 5 1/4"), sixteen unpaginated leaves. In a paper wrapper with black lettering on both panels and flaps. ___CONDITION: Volume is near fine, boards have straight corners without rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; some fading to green color of both boards in uneven patches and on back boards around perimeter. The paper wrapper very good, overall light sunning, the right margin of the front flap unevenly torn vertically, and a 3/4" closed tear near head of spine. ___CITATION: Taylor & Sewell, no. A234, which notes the title-page engraving by Philip Hagreen. ___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details. ___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
One of 526 copies, folio size, unpaginated [18 plates and 5 pp. of commentary]. "America, a Prophecy" was etched in Blake's first years in Lambeth, around 1791, and published 1794. It is the seventh book executed by Blake in his Illuminated Printing, one of his prophetic books. Its theme is drawn from historical events taking place in Europe and North America towards the end of the eighteenth century, especially concerning the American Revolution. William Blake (1757 - 1827) is arguably the most original and highly-regarded English author - unusual in that he excelled both as an author and an artist. Although thought mad by his contemporaries, he was held in high regard for his expressiveness and for the synthesis of philosophical and mystical senses within his work. Blake's work has been spectacularly reproduced through the pochoir technique by Arnold Fawkus and his Trianon Press, which has an undeniable claim to being the finest press of its kind in the last century and has long been known for their unrivaled artworks in fine colour printing. ___DESCRIPTION: Original quarter blue morocco with hand-marbled paper sides, top-edge gilt, backstrip lettered in gilt, eighteen colour plates reproduced by the collotype and pochoir processes, printed on Arches pure rag paper made to match that used by Blake, each page is water-marked with Blake's monogram; folio size (14 1/2" by 10 1/2"), limited edition, this lettered copy "T" of twenty-six copies reserved for Mr. Paul Mellon, the Trustees of the William Blake Trust, and the Publisher (526 total edition), below the inked letter "T" is a pencilled note "Trianon Press" with their address in Paris. Housed in publisher's slipcase of the same blue hand-marbled paper with blue morocco guards at the head and tail of opening. ___CONDITION: Volume fine overall, the morocco smooth and supple, the paper sides clean, corners are straight with only the barest hint of rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, internally bright and free of prior owner markings; we note one very small area of rubbing to the paper on the back cover, else fine. The slipcase is near fine, strong and sturdy, with several areas of minor rubbing to the paper covering. ___CITATION: Bentley, Blake Books no. 9. ___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard shipping charge does not always cover costs; please inquire for details. ___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
One of 200 copies, quarto size, 12 pp. These selections from the volume of Homeric Hymns were translated into English prose by John Edgar and first published in Edinburgh in 1891 by James Thin. Published by the Grabhorn Press in October of 1927; the Press was run by brothers Edwin and Robert Grabhorn and was one of the most highly renowned private presses in America during the first half of the twentieth century. ___DESCRIPTION: Half parchment with black paper boards, title and illustration in grey inset on the front board, title page illustration by Valenti Angelo (repeated at colophon); hand-set Lutetia type, Whatman paper, quarto size (11 7/8" by 7 3/4"), [12] pages, one of 200 copies, unnumbered. ___CONDITION: Near fine, with a strong, square text block, solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; boards are clean overall with a few stray marks to the black paper boards and a few spots of foxing to the parchment, else fine. Lacking slipcase. ___CITATION: Grabhorn Press Bibliography, no. 98; "Valenti Angelo: Author, Illustrator, Printer", p. 40. ___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details. ___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
One of 150 copies, folio size, 110 pp. Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton (1857-1948) was a prolific author and a woman ahead of her time. She was a feminist who was "well acquainted with the plight of women" (n.b., quote from Wiki); she wrote her first novel ("The Randolphs of Redwood", published 1882) using a pseudonym and was ostracized by her family when the discovered she was the author. This work, "The Splendid Idle Forties", is comprised of six of the thirteen stories in the first edition, which are "tales of the Spanish in California during the 1840s.[and] has been described as 'the best collection of stories telling of that picturesque period of the Far West when the incoming Americans were first mingling with the Californians of rancho, presidio and mission' " (n.b., quote from the prospectus). The six stories included in this publication are "The Pearls of Loreto", "The Bells of San Gabriel", "The Story of La Pérdida", "The Conquest of Doña Jacoba", "The Vengeance of Padre Arroyo", and "When the Devil Was Well". Published by Lewis and Dorothy Allen of The Allen Press, it is "a handmade book of superb materials" (ibid), with the large initial capitals and divisional ornaments having been hand-coloured by Dorothy Allen in four or five colours, hand-printed on handmade paper, the text block sewn by hand by Peter Fahey and her students. As the Allens state in their bibliography, "[t]his was another of those infrequent editions where all ingredients sank into place docilely, without a whimper; all is harmonious: text and type-face, decorations and color, paper and binding materials; the presswork above average." ___DESCRIPTION: Bound in a Fortuny print of an antique mustard-colour floral motif on an off-white background (the fabric hand-blocked in Venice) over boards, white paper spine label with red lettering, the fore- and bottom edges uncut, coral laid paper endpapers, the seven extremely large initial capitals by Mallette Dean swirling across the pages glittering with the hand-colouring, marginal titles in red throughout; hand-set Romanée type on all-rag Rives paper from France, printed damp using ink specially imported from Germany on an Acorn handpress, the Dean initials and ornaments relief-cut linocuts printed from photoengraved blocks, folio size (13 1/2" by 9 1/4"), pagination: [1-6] 7-110. Covered with the publisher's original acetate wrapper. ___CONDITION: Volume fine overall; the fabric boards clean other than a few spots of light dustiness, the spine label clean and unworn (albeit sunned), the corners straight and unrubbed, a strong square text block with solid hinges, the interior clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; the red lettering on the spine label sunned, else fine. The acetate wrapper near fine with very light wear most noticeable at the tail of the spine and light dustiness. Overall a lovely example of one the Allen's finest productions. ___CITATION: Allen Press Bibliography no. 24; Hawk no. 368; the first edition included as no. 1 of the Zamorano 80. ___POSTAGE: Please note that this is an unusually large and heavy book and additional postage may apply; please inquire for details. ___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
One of 266 copies, folio size, 18 pp., 100 plates. Poet, printer, artist and prophet William Blake (1757-1827) is arguably the most original and highly-regarded English authors of all time. Although thought mad by his contemporaries, he was also held in high regard for his expressiveness and for the synthesis of philosophical and mystical senses within his work. Blake's "Jerusalem" has been spectacularly reproduced by Trianon Press twice; many of us have seen the 1974 edition, bound in quarter leather over marbled boards, with 33 plates. This earlier (1951) publication has all 100 plates in the original unique copy, "now in the possession of Lt. Col. William Stirling of Keir", and was the first of the renowned facsimiles published by the Trianon Press. "Blakes's etched copperplates, giving the text of his poem and the basis of the designs, were printed by him in a rich orange ink and were then illuminated by hand in water colours and gold. The etched base has now been reproduced by collotype in orange and the prints have then been coloured by hand by a stencilling process [pochoir], so that the final result bears the closest possible resemblance to Blake's original plates. An average of forty-four applications of water colours was required for each full page illustration, of which there are four." (n.b., from the Introduction). ___DESCRIPTION: Bound in full blue cloth over bevelled boards, debossed gilt lettering on the spine, the limitation page follows the half-title, this no. 243 of the 250 copies reserved for the Trianon Press for distribution (total edition 266), title page follows in blue and black, followed by the Introduction, Preludium, and Bibliographical Statement, after which come the 100 plates; folio size (13 3/8" by 11"), pagination: [6] i-viii [ix] [3] [100 plates, printed on the rectos only]; note that while there are four full-page illustrations, most of the text plates also have portions illustrated; a truly stunning work. ____CONDITION: Near fine, the cloth covering the boards unworn (but with several light, stray marks), a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior clean and bright, the sole prior owner marking being a name and date discreetly written at the top of the front pastedown; the corners very gently bumped and the aforementioned light marks on the cloth, else fine. Note that this copy is lacking the folding box. ___CITATION: Bentley, Blake Books, 78. ___POSTAGE: Please note that this is an exceptionally large and heavy volume and additional postage may apply; please inquire for details. ___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
First US Edition, octavo size, 41 pp. Alan Watts (1915-1973) was a British poet and philosopher, best known for popularizing Eastern religion, philosophy and poetry for a Western audience, most notably the counter-culture youth in the Bay Area and New York in the 1950s and 60s. This essay was first published in 1947 under the title "Zen Buddhism, A New Outline and Introduction". ___DESCRIPTION: Original handmade paper covered boards, lettering in black and red to upper board and backstrip, title page in black and red, chapter headings in red, chapter headpieces of chops, decorations, and illustrations; octavo size (8 3/8" by 5 3/8") pagination: [i-viii] ix-x, 11-41; lacking the original glassine dust jacket. ___CONDITION: A fine copy overall, the paper boards clean and without wear, the corners straight and without rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; light offsetting to the endpapers, else fine. ___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard shipping charge does not always cover costs; please inquire for details. ___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
One of the 500 copies bound in quarter morocco, folio size, unpaginated [33 plates and 9 pp. of commentary]. Poet, printer, artist and prophet William Blake (1757-1827) is arguably the most original and highly-regarded English authors of all time. Although thought mad by his contemporaries, he was also held in high regard for his expressiveness and for the synthesis of philosophical and mystical senses within his work. Blake's "Jerusalem" has been spectacularly reproduced through the pochoir technique by Arnold Fawcus and his Trianon Press, which has an undeniable claim to being the finest press of its kind in the last century and has long been known for their unrivaled artworks in fine colour printing. "Jerusalem" is Blake's longest prophetic book, with 100 plates that were completed in 1820, 33 of which are reproduced in this volume. Its large host of characters take on the subject of mankind's struggle throughout history for wholeness, with Jerusalem and Albion being allegorical figures representative of the male and female halves of humanity seeking to be unified as one. ___DESCRIPTION: Quarter morocco with hand-marbled paper sides, backstrip lettered in gilt, thirty-three plates (including the eight proofs) reproduced by collotype and pochoir, printed on Arches pure rag paper made to match the paper used by Blake, each page watermarked with Blake's monogram; folio size (14 3/4" by 10 1/2"), thirty-three plates and nine pp. of commentary, limited edition, this no. 218 of the 500 copies bound in quarter morocco (558 copies total). Housed in publisher's slipcase of the same hand-marbled paper with matching morocco guards at the head and tail of the opening. ____CONDITION: A fine copy, the leather smooth and supple, the marbled paper clean and unrubbed, the corners perfectly straight and unrubbed, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, internally clean and bright, the sole prior owner marking being a name and date discreetly written at the top of the front pastedown; other than that sole prior owner name this copy is clean, crisp, and as new. Slipcase also fine, strong and sturdy, the marbled paper clean and without wear. Overall a stunning example. ___CITATION: Bentley, Blake Books, A82. ___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard shipping charge does not always cover costs; please inquire for details. ___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
Twenty-fourmo size, 28 pp. The Saint Dominic's Press, founded by Harry (Hilary) Douglas Clarke Pepler, flourished at Ditchling, Sussex, from 1916 to 1936. The first home of the Press was "a disused stable", with a hundred-year-old Stanhope hand-press which supposedly had belonged to William Morris. Pepler endeavored to do everything possible by hand, believing that such would both produce the best results and also be a "more individual or 'humane'.product". He therefore "preferred the handpress to the machine, handmade to machine-made paper, and handset founder's type to the products of typesetting machines." (N.b., quotes and information from "Three Private Presses" by Brocard Sewell.) Per Taylor and Sewell, "The Welfare Handbooks were a series of pamplets mainly concerned with social questions written from a Distributist and Roman Catholic standpoint." This volume contains scriptural passages pertaining to the age-old question of the relative merits of wealth vs. poverty, vis-a-vis one's relationship with God. Per the title page, "Being extracts from The New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, as translated from the Latin Vulgate by the English College at Rheims, A.D. 1582." ___DESCRIPTION: Brown wrappers printed in black, string-bound, with one engraving, Gill's "Christ and the Money-Changers" (P 152); Caslon O.F. type on Batachelor hand-made paper, twenty-fourmo size (5 3/8" by 4 1/4"), pagination: [i-iv] [1] 2-24. ___CONDITION: Fine overall, the wraps clean (except for one small spot on the front wrap) and without wear or sunning, the string binding strong, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; perhaps a touch of sunning around the spine and the aforementioned small spot, else fine. ___CITATION: Taylor and Sewell, no. A50; Eric Gill Bibliography, no. 270. ___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard shipping charge does not always cover costs; please inquire for details. ___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
One of the 32 copies bound in full morocco, with extra proofs and stencil, folio size, unpaginated. Poet, printer, artist and prophet William Blake (1757-1827) is arguably the most original and highly-regarded English authors of all time. Although thought mad by his contemporaries, he was also held in high regard for his expressiveness and for the synthesis of philosophical and mystical senses within his work. Blake's "Jerusalem" has been spectacularly reproduced through the pochoir technique by Arnold Fawcus and his Trianon Press, which has an undeniable claim to being the finest press of its kind in the last century and has long been known for their unrivaled artworks in fine colour printing. "Jerusalem" is Blake's longest prophetic book, with 100 plates that were completed in 1820, 33 of which are reproduced in this volume. Its large host of characters take on the subject of mankind's struggle throughout history for wholeness, with Jerusalem and Albion being allegorical figures representative of the male and female halves of humanity seeking to be unified as one. In addition to the 33 plates included in all 558 copies of this publication, this deluxe version also has a special section, "Progressive states of plate 25, collotype proofs, and a matching guide-sheet & stencil". This section shows the progression of plate 25 as each colour is applied (fifteen plates) plus a cut-out plate showing the few sections where a particular colour was applied, and finally the stencil itself mounted onto the rear pastedown. ___DESCRIPTION: Full morocco, backstrip lettered in gilt, thirty-three plates (including the eight proofs) reproduced by collotype and pochoir, printed on Arches pure rag paper made to match the paper used by Blake, each page watermarked with Blake's monogram, the special section, as described above, following the limitation page; folio size (14 3/4" by 10 1/2"), thirty-three plates and nine pp. of commentary, plus the plates in the special section, limited edition, this no. XXVI of the thirty-two copies bound in full morocco with extra material (558 copies total). Housed in publisher's slipcase covered with hand-marbled paper with matching morocco guards at the head and tail of the opening. ____CONDITION: A fine copy, the leather smooth and supple, the corners perfectly straight and unrubbed, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, internally clean and bright, and free of prior owner markings; other a miniscule mark to the leather at the top of the front board clean, crisp, and as new. Slipcase fine overall, strong and sturdy, the marbled paper clean, the only wear being a bit of light rubbing at the extremities. ___CITATION: Bentley, Blake Books, A82. ___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard shipping charge does not always cover costs; please inquire for details. ___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
Reprinted (with some corrections), twenty-fourmo size, 56 pp. In the apologetic preface the author claims this is not poetry but "rhymes" and he includes explanatory notes on each. He also suggests this should be compared more to a Christmas card than a book. Printed by Douglas Pepler at Hampshire house Workshops. "200 copies of this "book" were printed for Christmas 1915" (n.b. from the preface/colophon). ___DESCRIPTION: Bound in half natural colored cloth with blue cloth over boards, gilt lettering on front cover, title page in red and black with some additional text in red throughout; twenty-fourmo size (5 1/4" by 4 1/8"), pagination: [i-ii][1-2] 3-50 [2 pages of books by Douglas Pepler] [1, blank] [1, printer's statement]. ___CONDITION: Overall in good condition, with a strong, square text block with solid hinges, and the interior is clean and bright; discoloration to boards, bumped corners with rubbing and a prior owner gift inscription on the front free endpaper. ___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details. ___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
Revised variant edition, duodecimo size, 116 pp. Mimes, the author states, are similar to early liturgical plays and this work includes mimes titled, "The Stations of the Cross", "The Rosary", "St. George and the Turkish Knight", 'Harlequinade" and "Sir Galahad"; illustrated with drawings of masks designed and made by Dunstan Pruden. The Saint Dominic's Press, founded by Harry (Hilary) Douglas Clarke Pepler, flourished at Ditchling, Sussex, from 1916 to 1936. The first home of the Press was "a disused stable", with a hundred-year-old Stanhope hand-press which supposedly had belonged to William Morris. Pepler endeavored to do everything possible by hand, believing that such would both produce the best results and also be a "more individual or 'humane'.product". He therefore "preferred the handpress to the machine, handmade to machine-made paper, and handset founder's type to the products of typesetting machines." Pepler met Edward Johnston and Eric Gill while living in Hammersmith; Pepler and his family would eventually move to Ditchling to join Gill, who was one of the most important artists to provide illustrations for the St. Dominic's Press. Other artists who provided illustrations included David Jones, Desmond Chute, Philip Hagreen, and Mary Dudley Short, among others. ___DESCRIPTION: Printed tan paper wrappers with yapped edges, black lettering and a small illustration on the front wrap and title page; duodecimo size (7 1/2" x 5"), pagination: [i-iv] 1-110 [111] [1, colophon]. . ___CONDITION: Near fine, the wraps clean, a strong, square text block, the interior is clean and entirely free of prior owner markings; dustiness to the yapped edges, a lightly stamped price ("Price 75¢") at the bottom margin of the front wrap, small creases on front cover and slight foxing to endpapers. ___CITATIONS: Taylor and Sewell, no. A218; note that the quotes and much of the introductory information from "Three Private Presses" by Brocard Sewell. ___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details. ___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
One of 100 copies on hand-made paper, duodecimo size, 40 pp. "Fr. Noble's essay is both for the guidance of a would-be postulant to the [Dominican] Lay-Brotherhood and for the encouragement of one who has discovered his vocation" (n.b., from the editors prefatory note). Uncommon in the marketplace, as of this writing we see no other copies in the online marketplace, although the title is well-represented in OCLC. ___DESCRIPTION: Bound in quarter black leather with green and white decorated paper over boards, printed title label on front cover, Gill's press device on the title page; duodecimo size (7 1/4" by 5"), pagination: [i,blank] [ii, limitation page] [iii-viii] 1-32; limited edition, this no. 20 of 199 copies on hand-made paper (total edition 500). ___CONDITION: Very good overall, the interior is near fine with a strong, square text block and solid hinges, is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; front and rear boards show some offsetting and sunning, label on the front board with offsetting (likely from spine glue as it is also runs alongside the leather spine), head and tail of leather spine are rubbed with slight loss at the head, spine has remnant of adhesive likely from a spine label (now lacking). ___CITATION: Taylor & Sewell, no. A206. ___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details. ___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
Sixteenmo size, 22 printed pp. From the prefatory Notes: "A copy was presented to our Holy Father Pope Pius XI and was accepted by him 'not only as Pope but also as an ancient biliothecarius; and He added that the book should have a good place in His bibliotheca." Sir Thomas More (1748-1535), English statesman, philosopher, and theologian, was executed when he refused to say that Henry VIII was head of the church, and rejected Henry's right to annual his marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. This slim volume speaks directly to Agape, the love one has for God; however, many of the short poetic essays can easily be viewed as advice for Charity or Eros, the love of one human for another. Words worth reading and remembering. ___DESCRIPTION: Bound in red quarter-leather with decorated paper boards, gilt title on spine, initial capitals in red; sixteenmo size (6 7/16" by 4 10/16"), pagination: [i-viii] [1] 2-14 printed on rectos only, including the glossary of 27 old english words and colophon. Second edition but first in this size and format, only a few copies were printed in this red half-leather according to Taylor & Sewell. ___CONDITION: Very good overall, with a strong, square text block and solid hinges, the interior is clean, complete and without tears, the sole prior owner marking we see a name and date of 1936 on the front free endpaper; covers and spine are good, the spine sunned to an orange hue and decorations on the boards have been rubbed significantly, corners are bumped with boards beginning to show, light offsetting to the endpapers, and tail of spine with a bit of wear. Overall a good plus binding with a near fine text block. ___CITATION: Taylor & Sewell A159; Ransom 63. ___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details. ___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
One of 500 copies (unnumbered),octavo size, 48 pp. The Saint Dominic's Press, founded by Harry (Hilary) Douglas Clarke Pepler, flourished at Ditchling, Sussex, from 1916 to 1936. The first home of the Press was "a disused stable", with a hundred-year-old Stanhope hand-press which supposedly had belonged to William Morris. Pepler endeavored to do everything possible by hand, believing that such would both produce the best results and also be a "more individual or 'humane'.product". He therefore "preferred the handpress to the machine, handmade to machine-made paper, and handset founder's type to the products of typesetting machines." This is both an interesting association copy as well as a "Rare edition on the art of silversmithing by Dunstan Pruden (1907-1974), demonstrating the simplicity and clarity of his unique approach." With the Ex-Libris of the Rev. Edward Hawks who is "recognized as one of the greatest living authorities on Anglicanism" (n.b., from the The American Catholic Historical Society website). ___DESCRIPTION: Bound in quarter cloth with printed paper boards, Ex-Libris of Rev. Edward Hawks on front paste-down, illustrated with twenty diagrams (one repeated on front board) and engraved by Philip Hagreen, Gills's press device on the title page; octavo size (7 7/8" by 5 1/4"), pagination: [1-2] [i] ii-v [vi] [1] 2-37 [1 page index; 1 page blank; 1 page colophon]. ___CONDITION: Near fine overall, with clean boards, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and other than the Ex-Libris mentioned above free of prior owner markings; corners are slightly bumped with the top front corner slightly creased and minor offsetting to the endpapers. ___CITATIONS: Taylor and Sewell, no. A227; note that the quotes and much of the introductory quoted information from "Three Private Presses" by Brocard Sewell. ___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details. ___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
One of the 20 copies bound in full morocco, with extra proofs and stencil, folio size, unpaginated. "Visions of the Daughters of Albion" published in 1793, is one of Blake's prophetic books, and is considered to be a sequel of sorts to "The Book of Thel". Its early feminist subject matter was influenced in part by Mary Wollstonecraft's "A Vindication of the Rights of Women" published in 1792. In Geoffrey Keynes' Bibliographical Statement, he remarks "The theme of 'Visions of the Daughters of Albion' is, in effect, partly a protest against the sexual morals of the day, and it has been related by some writers to crises in Blake's own life, such as his realization that he was tied legally and morally to a barren wife." But this is pure conjecture, and it is better to regard the book as a poet's view of the evils of organized religion, compulsory morals, oppressed womanhood, and, in addition, of slavery. William Blake (1757-1827) is arguably the most original and highly-regarded English author - unusual in that he excelled both as an author and an artist. Although thought mad by his contemporaries, he was held in high regard for his expressiveness and for the synthesis of philosophical and mystical senses within his work. Blake's work has been spectacularly reproduced through the pochoir technique by Arnold Fawcus and his Trianon Press, which has an undeniable claim to being the finest press of its kind in the last century and has long been known for their unrivaled artworks in fine colour printing. In addition to the eleven plates included in all copies of this publication, this deluxe version also has a special section, ".containing a set of hand-coloured plates showing progressive stages, colour collotype proofs and an original guide sheet and stencil". This section shows the progression of the frontis plate as each colour is applied (26 plates) plus a cut-out plate showing the few sections where a particular colour was applied, and finally the stencil itself fastened (with corners) onto the rear pastedown. ___DESCRIPTION: Original orange full morocco, backstrip lettered in gilt, top-edge gilt, eleven colour plates reproduced by the collotype and pochoir processes, printed on Arches pure rag paper made to match the paper used by Blake, each page is watermarked with Blake's monogram; folio size (14 1/2" by 10 1/2"), unpaginated [11 plates and 4 pp. of commentary, the "Bibliographical Statement", plus the additional section with the progressive plates as set forth above], one of 20 copies of the deluxe edition, this copy no. V (446 copies total). Housed in publisher's slipcase with hand-marbled paper on the sides and matching morocco at the opening. ___CONDITION: Volume near fine, the leather smooth and supple, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the corners straight and unrubbed, internally clean and bright, the sole prior owner marking being a name discreetly written at the top of the front pastedown; a few stray marks on the leather and very light dustiness, else fine. Slipcase also near fine, strong and sturdy, the paper coverings with only a few light marks and some light rubbing to the bottom edge and light soil to the morocco opening. ___CITATION: Bentley, Blake Books, 216. ___POSTAGE: Please note that this is an unusually large and heavy volume and additional postage may apply; please inquire for details. ___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
Two volumes (complete), one of 1500 copies, quarto size, 700 pp., in slipcase, signed by John Austen. Alain-Rene Le Sage (1668-1747), French novelist and playright, had an immense influence over later authors such as Jonathan Swift, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Mark Twain, Wilkie Collins, Edgar Allan Poe, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. This work, originally published between 1715 and 1735, was instrumental in laying the foundation for 18th and 19th century novels. The protagonist is born in poverty and misery, undergoes hardships and eventually, through his adaptability and quick wit, becomes a favorite of the king and enjoys a fortune and a hard-earned honest life. With artwork by English illustrator John Austen (1886-1948), who illustrated many books such as "Hamlet", "Tristram Shandy", and "Madame Bovary"; his style was at first influenced by Aubrey Beardsley and was later shaped by the Art Deco movement. ___DESCRIPTION: Bound in quarter grey cloth with gilt lettering and decorative borders on the spine, blue cloth-covered sides, decorated endpapers, a different frontispiece in each volume, these being two of the twenty full-page Austen illustrations hand-coloured by Daniel Jacomet bound in throughout, with additional black-and-white illustrations in-text; monotype Fournier on William Nash special paper, designed, printed, and bound by John Johnson at the Oxford University Press, quarto size (11 1/2" by 8"), pagination: Vol. I, [i-v] vi-xxvi [1] 2-329 [1, blank]; and Vol. II, [i-v] vi-xi [1, blank] [331] 332-660 [1, colophon, signed by John Austen] [1, blank], this set number 631 of 1500. In jackets of light blue heavy paper, illustrations on the front panels and spines by Austen in black and dark blue, black lettering on the front panels and spines. Housed in the publisher's slipcase of heavy cardboard covered in the same patterned paper as the endpapers, light blue paper spine label with black lettering and another small illustration by Austen in black and dark blue. ___CONDITION: Volumes fine overall, with clean boards, straight corners without rubbing, strong, square text blocks with solid hinges, the interiors clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; light offsetting to the endpapers, and two very light, stray marks on the spine of Vol. I, else fine. The dust jackets a bit better than very good, the panels and spines clean and without noticeable wear, the spines showing sunning, scattered old dampstains, with light wear at the heads and tails. The slipcase very good, still strong and sturdy, the paper with overall light sunning and soil with noticeable wear around the opening, one seam split, a prior owner affixed cello tape to that and one other seam. ___CITATION: LEC Bibliography, no. 98. ___POSTAGE: Please note that this is an unusally large and heavy set and additional postage may apply; please inquire for details. ___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
