Bird & Bull Press - Oak Knoll Books

34. (Nonesuch Press) Meynell, Francis, Desmond Flower and A.J.A. Symons.
NONESUCH CENTURY, AN APPRAISAL, A PERSONAL NOTE AND
A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE FIRST HUNDRED BOOKS ISSUED BY THE PRESS
1923–1936.
London: The Nonesuch Press, 1936, 4to., original niger morocco by Bain. (iv), xi, (i), 80,
(8) and insert; 6 leaves of illustrations of bindings; (56), (96), (4) pages. $ 3,000.00
Limited to 750 copies of which this is one of “a few copies ...cased in whole niger morocco
by Bain, with green and grey endpapers with large versions of Stephen Gooden’s Nonesuch
device, as on the dust wrapper (of the trade edition).” The Nonesuch Press was founded in
1923 by Francis and Vera Meynell, with David Garnett as partner. His wide knowledge of
literature constantly provided input into the selection of books to be printed by the press.
This is his copy in the special binding and with the special endpapers and contains his
booklabel meant for special members of the firm. A wonderful association item of one of
the most beautiful by the press. It was printed at the Cambridge University Press on wove
paper and contains a frontispiece portrait of Francis Meynell drawn by Eric Gill, a number of
reproductions of bindings, reproductions of 56 pages from different Nonesuch books reset in
the original manner by the original printers and various comments and histories concerning
the press. This book required a massive amount of work to produce, but the end result
justified the labor. Minor discoloration to the morocco that doesn’t detract from the book.
[11333]
§ One of 15 Special Copies §
35. (Old Stile Press) Harrop, Dorothy. THE OLD STILE PRESS
IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, A BIBLIOGRAPHY 1979–1999.
(Monmouthshire): Old Stile Press, (2000), small 4to., Decorated paper-covered boards.
Clamshell case. 135+(1) pages. $ 1,500.00
Printed in an edition limited to 15 numbered copies. A bibliography of The Old Stile Press
that covers all material produced by this press from its beginning in 1979 to
1999. Each entry is accompanied with woodcut illustrations from the books.
There are introductory essays by Dorothy Harrop, Frances McDowall,
Nicolas McDowall and Peter Wakelin. Indexed. This special “Archive
Edition” is bound in a clamshell case that also includes a portfolio of Old
Stile Press ephemera. [76268]
18 Oak Knoll Special Catalog No. 12