An occasional newsletter about forthcoming books and events
 

June 2024

In this newsletter . . .

progress on: Plates for a Herbal

offers on ex-display copies

offer of a 30-year run of Private Library

date for your diary: the 2024 Ludlow Fine Book Fair

Work progresses on this new book on the history of printing at Oxford University Press, in particular the printing of the copper engravings for Robert Morison's 1699 Herbal.

After much work, Master Printer Jim Nottingham has completed taking the required forty pulls from each of the twelve plates that will appear in the edition of our forthcoming book Plates for a Herbal. (Each copy of the book will contain pulls from five of the twelve plates.) They are now safely stored, wrapped in tissue in sealed archive boxes, ready for when they go to the binders later this year along with the sheets of text which I am printing. I expect to add a plate number to each pull so that it can be associated with Professor Stephen Harris's text about the plate in the final book.

You can now watch the whole process that Jim Nottingham used to take one 'pull' from a plate. Just one pull takes a quarter of an hour, most of which is in the inking and preparation of the plate.

This photograph shows two of the printed engravings, one of orchids engraved by Frederick van Hove (1628-98) and the other of fritillaries engraved by William Faithorne (c.1620-91). They are large plates, about 35cm/13.8in tall, and very beautiful.

These can all be purchased at our online shop.

This title recently sold out but we have a display copy for sale. It is in very good condition and offered for just £15 plus shipping. You can read and see more about the book here.

Although I stated in the colophon that the Renage près Rives paper that it is printed on was from the 1960s, it turns out that in fact it is pre-1914!
 

This title sold out some time ago but we have a display copy for sale. It is in slightly tired condition but offered for just £20 plus shipping. You can read and see more about the book here.
 

Into the Lagoon

This title sold out last year but we have the display copy for sale. It is a numbered copy (60/60) from the edition and is in very good condition. You can read and see more about the book here. It is for sale for £200 plus shipping.
 

I have a complete run of the Private Libraries Association journal Private Library, from 1995, all in very good condition. I would like to dispose of them and will take £80 for the lot plus shipping. Firm offers only please with a postal address via this link. FCFS. 
 

We will of course be exhibiting at the Fair on 26-27th October. It will be held at the Clive Pavilion just outside Ludlow, at Ludlow Racecourse (SY8 2BT), hosted by Ludlow Bookbinders. Refreshments and plenty of parking. Expect a celebration of fine books, printing, bookbinding, and book arts.

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Copyright © Martyn Ould 2024