Sophie Schneideman Rare Books has created a catalogue for the recent California Book Fairs. This is a selection of books notable primarily for their physical aspects, their appearance more than the text. These are the books which, when all others have ceased to be printed, still must be. They are the books that can never be replaced by e-book copies for it is their physical properties that make their soul.
The items offered are divided into categories. Here they are: Artists' Books, Lettering, Manuscript & Illumination, Bookbindings, Paper & Sample Books, Private Press Books, Eric Gill, Illustrated Books, and finally (not a book at all), a timepiece, that is, a Sundial. These are a few selections from the works presented.
The Ashendene Press was one of the earliest of the fine press revivals inspired by William Morris. It began printing in 1895, just four years after Morris' Kelmscott Press, and continued until 1935. Only 40 books were published during those 40 years, with this one being, in a way, an exception. Ashendene was run by Charles St. John Hornby, but in 1909, he printed an unpublished book. That is because it was meant only for friends and family, on behalf of his nine-year-old daughter Diana's birthday. The book is The Story Without End, by Friedrich Wilhelm Carove, translated from German by Sarah Austin. It is one of 36 copies. It features large initial letters at the beginning of each chapter, drawn in blue by Graily Hewitt. It includes an opening poem from Hornby dated May 15, 1909 to Diana, beginning “Go, little Book, / Love's gift to her, / my Heart's delight:”. This copy is inscribed by Hornby on behalf of his daughter “M. Barclay from Diana Hornby July 1909.” Madeleine Barclay was Hornby's sister-in-law. Item 44. Priced at £7,500 (British pounds, or approximately $9,507 in U.S. currency).
This next item is a labor of love. It is an illuminated wedding book created by Caroline Allégre with help from Julien Lemétais, her husband to-be. It was finished in September 1901. Miss Allégre was an exhibited artist from Normandy. The wedding book features hand-drawn borders and ornamental drawings on every page. There is also handwritten calligraphy, red and gilt initials open the paragraphs. There are three “large miniature” pen and ink drawings, two by Miss Allégre, the other by Julien Lemétais. It was bound in full brown morocco by the firm of Leon Curmer, signed L. Curmer on the spine. Two ornamental metal clasps are placed on each side. It is housed in the original black cloth chemise and slipcase. Caroline Allégre has written in a calligraphic hand (in French) that it was designed and painted by her with the frontispiece by Lemétais. The wedding was held on October 24, 1901. Allégre was a respected artist, Lemétais an industrial designer. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find anything about this couple in any online searches, but presumably they lived happily ever after. Item 12. £4,000 (US $5,070).
This item is in the catalogue primarily for its bindings, but its illustrations are worthy too, and some may find the subject matter most appealing, particularly in France from which it came. The title is Mon Docteur le Vin (wine my doctor). This ode to wine was written by Gaston Derys, with 19 illustrations after Raoul Dufy. Schneideman describes this as “A fabulous binding on an excellent book describing all the benefits of wine from preventing obesity, giving vitamins, curing typhus, depression, appendicitis, diabetes and helping character and morals.” I could go along with all this, despite some reservations about preventing obesity and curing typhus, but don't try to cure an appendicitis with wine. Get yourself to a hospital, pronto. Now for the bindings. It was the work of celebrated Parisian women bookbinders Germaine De Coster and Hélène Dumas. They cooperated on bindings for almost half a century, creating 300 of them. While the book came out in 1936, shortly after they began working together, the binding is signed and dated by De Coster and Dumas in 1958. The binding on the folio book is made from full cream lambskin, and features a “remarkable geometric design,” using many colors, which create an image of a glass and bottle. One could describe the image as cubist. Item 25. £6,800 (US $8,615).
William Morris and his Kelmscott Press was enormously influential in the fine press movement, but no one was more directly influenced than Elbert Hubbard. Hubbard was an American salesman when he traveled to England and visited Morris and his press. Hubbard had been unable to find a publisher for a travel book he wrote, so decided to set up his own press, in emulation of Morris. His press would also specialize in fine printings, rather than the ordinary books spun out by fast, automated presses. He set up Roycroft Press in East Aurora, New York. What started as a place to print Hubbard's book turned into far more. It grew in a way Amazon's book business did, at least by early 20th century standards. Hubbard attracted a whole group of craftsmen who wanted to join his operation. The result was a complete community, consisting not only of printers and bookbinders, but furniture makers, metal and leather craftsmen. From its beginnings in 1895, it grew to a community of almost 500 people by 1910. Sadly, there was a tragic ending to this story. Elbert and his wife, Alice, were passengers on the Lusitania when it was struck by German fire off the British coast in 1915. Neither of the Hubbards were among the survivors. Their son took over the business, but it was never the same. It gradually faded away before finally closing down in 1938. Item 74 was a product of the Roycrafters, as they were called. The title is Justinian and Theodora. A Drama Being a Chapter of History and the One Gleam of Light During the Dark Ages, published in 1906. It was written by Elbert and Alice Hubbard. This is copy no. 15 of 106 copies. It is signed by Elbert Hubbard, and portraits of Edward and Alice are signed by each respectively. The book contains numerous design features as expected of books of the Arts and Crafts movement. Item 74. £1,200 (US $1,522).
Next is The English Bible Containing the Old Testament & the New, Translated Out of the Original Tongues by Special Command of His Majesty King James the First, and Now Reprinted with the Text Revised by a Collation of Its Early and Other Principal Editions, five volumes 1903-1905. This one is better known as the Dove's Bible. No more need be said. If you are a potential buyer, you already know all about it. Item 48. £16,000 (US $20,296).
I associate her more with music than books, but here we go: Dusty Springfield, a short story by Peter Miller, illustrated by Pam Berry. Dusty was a British singer who also achieved much success in America during the British Invasion-era of the 1960s. If you at all know music from that time, you undoubtedly know some of her songs. It is set to look like a 45 rpm single record, even in a sleeve like one. You have to turn the “record” to read it. Item 6. £100 (US $126).
Sophie Schneideman Rare Books may be reached at +44 7909 963836 or sophie@ssrbooks.com. Their website is www.ssrbooks.com.
