Three Poems from The Bridge

[Bremen, ME: Red Angel Press], 2004. Unique binding by Gabrielle Fox, from an edition of 100 copies, the poetry on Saunders Waterford paper and the title page and illustrations on Sekishu, signed by the artist / printer, Ron Keller. Page size: 12-1/2 inches x 7-1/2 inches, oblong octavo. Binding: full blue Valencia goatskin, with slightly raised bridge image on both front and back boards achieved by a layer of watercolor under leather, various shades of grey goatskin onlays, the outline of the bridge highlighted with gold gilt and red gilt dots and squares and the onlays around bridge supports, endpapers of grey Japanese paper with onlay of green Tengujo in same shape as bridge, laminated to Twinrocker handmade paper, grey snakeskin headbands, signed on back turn-in at lower center with Fox logo finishing tool , housed in custom-made sailcloth over boards clamshell box, which also houses the original binding and portfolio of original binding designs and ephemera associated with the binding. The structure is one developed by Gabrielle Fox that allows the binding to open flat by sewing the text to an inner lining of alum-tawed goatskin thus creating a hollow tube.
Text hand set and printed letterpress in American Garamond 648 for the poetry, Garamond Italic for the text and Caslon 471 for the title. The text is printed in black and the title page and colophon in a gray green. Keller has chosen to reprint three poems that strongly use the imagery of the Brooklyn Bridge. The book is presented in a horizontal format reflective of the span of the bridge. The first two poems, "Cutty Sark" and "Atlantis" are illustrated with three relief print images of the bridge's interesting stone arches and steel suspension cables. These images are each printed in six colors in a style reminiscent of early 20th century poster graphics. The third poem, "To Brooklyn Bridge" is printed on four hinged leaves that extend to 42 inches when opened. This poems typographic layout forms the bridge's roadway and is bordered by a depiction of the suspension cables - the poet's "choiring strings!" - which rise up from the pages when opened. An elaborate and imaginative design from Red Angel Press honoring one of New York's most recognizable landmarks which is perfectly complemented by Ms. Fox's beautiful binding.