The private presses

London: Studio Vista, 1969 8vo (24.5 cm), 240 pp, 15 plates. Publisher's cloth and dust-jacket (dj slightly frayed). Inscribed on the half-title to Marianne Delvaux-Diercxsens, her calligraphic bookplate mounted on the front free endpaper. From the blurb: "This is the first full account of the English Private Press Movement which tells an intriguing story of the search for perfection. The works range from the monumental Kelmscott books of William Morris, through the austerities of Cobden Sanderson and Emery Walker at the Doves Press, to the charm of the Reverend Daniel's little books, printed so long ago at Worcester College, Oxford. The author is concerned not only with the history of the presses and their owners, but also with what they actually printed. He once again poses the question were the books meant to be read, or were they merely decorative objects? And he asks why did they so often repeat a few works, House of Lift, Sonnets from the Portuguese, Hand and Soul? Since these books first appeared, there has been a growing interest in them, which is reflected in the prices they now fetch in the sale rooms. Colin Franklin, himself a publisher, has one of the finest collections of English Private Press books anywhere. He speaks with authority not only of the Private Press movement, but also of the revival of printing which these presses inspired in British, American and Continental publishing. The book is illustrated with many examples of the work of the private presses and there is an invaluable select bibliography of the press books with some notes on recent auction prices."