DISTINGUISHED TYPOGRAPHY - Bloomsbury Auctions

All lots are offered subject to the Conditions of Sale and Business
printed in this catalogue, and reserves.
Charles Ricketts and the Vale Press
Lot 1
1. Longus. Da p h n i s a n D Ch l o e, translated by George
Thornley, one of 210 copies on Arnold’s unbleached
handmade paper, printed in Caslon type by the Ballantyne
Press, 36 wood-engraved illustrations and 102 initials by
Charles Ricketts and Charles H.Shannon, bound in black
morocco, b y J.Fr a n k l i n Mo w e r y , ruled in blind in blocks
of diagonal rules and titled in gilt, black suede doublures
and moiré silk flyleaves, signed at foot of rear doublure
“JFM 93”, modern cloth slip-case, 4to, 283 x 210mm., Elkin
Mathews and John Lane, 1893. £1500 – £2000
* * * The inspiration for this book came from Francesco
Colonna’s Hypnerotomachia Poliphili published by Aldus
Manutius in 1499. On page 97 in the wedding scene woodcut
the artists have included themselves as guests at the table,
along with Lucien Pissarro, Reginald Savage, C.J.Holmes
and T.Sturge Moore to whom the book was dedicated.
ex h i b i t e D: Decorative Arts 1900, Detroit Institute of Arts,
1993-94, no.23.
Lot 3
Lot 2
2. Marlowe (Christopher) and George Chapman. he r o
a n D le a n D e r, one of 220 copies on Arnold’s unbleached
handmade paper, printed in Caslon type by the Ballantyne
Press, 7 wood-engraved illustrations and decorative border
and initials by Charles Ricketts and Charles H.Shannon,
light spotting at beginning and end, bookplate of Philip
A.Robinson by Edward Burne-Jones, original vellum
decorated with rules, small circles and leaf corner-pieces in
gilt, designed by Ricketts and Laurence Housman, signed at
foot of both boards, uncut, very slightly soiled, head of spine
bumped, modern cloth slip-case, 8vo, 200 x 130mm., Elkin
Mathews and John Lane, 1894. £500 – £700
3. Ricketts (Charles) a De F e n C e o F t h e re v i va l o F pr i n t i n g,
one of 250 copies on Arnold’s unbleached handmade paper,
printed in Vale type by the Ballantyne Press, wood-engraved
border, initial and device by Charles Ricketts, a.e.ga l l at i n’s
C o p y with his bookplate and pencil signature dated 1901,
original boards with paper labels, uncut, a little rubbed and
soiled, modern cloth slip-case, 8vo, 190 x 125mm., Hacon
and Ricketts, 1899. £300 – £400
* * * This apologia for the art of printing rejects the generally
accepted notion, embraced by William Morris, that to be
truly beautiful the printed book must retain a genealogical
link or sympathy with the medieval manuscript.
A.E.Gallatin (1881-1952), American collector, writer on art
and bibliographer of Ricketts and Max Beerbohm amongst
others.
The library of Jan van der Marck
3