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ESSEX HOUSE PRESS: MILTON, John.. Comus.. London: Essex House Press, 1901, 1901.

Price: US$2274.21 + shipping

Description: First Essex House Press edition, number 41 of 150 copies printed on vellum and hand illuminated. The frontispiece is by Reginald Savage, his named added in manuscript on the limitation page. Milton's masque was first presented on Michaelmas 1634 and was first printed, anonymously, in 1637. It is presented here as the eighth work in the Essex House Press Great Poems Series. The Essex House Press was founded by Charles Robert Ashbee and Laurence Hodson following the closure of William Morris's Kelmscott Press in 1897 and "came from the heart of the arts and crafts movement" (Franklin, p. 64). Ashbee bought the Kelmscott Press's Albion printing presses after Morris's death, and employed one of the Kelmscott compositors, Thomas Binning. In 1902 "a bindery was established in the Guild, under the direction of Annie Power, who had been a student of Douglas Cockerell" (Crawford, p. 400). The illuminated letters for this work were provided by Florence Kingsford Cockerell (1871-1949), one of the leading book illuminators of the English arts and crafts movement. Kingsford Cockerell studied calligraphy under Edward Johnston and predominantly worked for the Ashendene Press. Ashbee, A Bibliography of The Essex House Press, p. 15; Franklin, p. 243; Ransom, Essex House Press 23. Alan Crawford, C. R. Ashbee: Architect, Designer & Romantic Socialist, 2005. Octavo. Original vellum, spine lettered in gilt, rose and "Soul is Form" blind-stamped to front cover. Printed in Caslon type in blue and black. Hand-coloured frontispiece woodcut by Reginald Savage, illuminated letters by Florence Kingsford Cockerell. Manusript note from the 1930s noting the book as from the library of Rev. Arthur Percy Dodd, curate of Weston under Wetherley and secretary of the Leamington Chess Club. Faint natural discolouration to vellum, mild rubbing to edges, a near-fine copy.

Seller: Peter Harrington. ABA/ ILAB., London, United Kingdom

MILTON, John; frontispiece by SAVAGE, Reginald; [illuminated by KINGSFORD, Kate Florence]. COMUS, A Mask.. London: Printed under the care of C.R. Ashbee at the Essex House Press. Published by Edward Arnold., 1901.

Price: US$2436.65 + shipping

Description: Limited edition, number 60 of 150 copies printed on vellum. Small octavo. Publisher's original full vellum with decorative rose device and the words "soul is form" in blind to the upper board and with titles in gilt to the spine. Hand-coloured woodblock frontispiece by Reginald Savage. Illuminated by hand with a large opening gilt initial and with other initials in red and gilt throughout by Florence Kingsford. Hand-coloured tailpiece on the colophon. The text printed in blue and black. Contained within a custom quarter vellum solander box by Asprey. A fine copy, the binding square and tight, the vellum clean. The contents with the very occasional spot of natural toning to the vellum are otherwise immaculate throughout. The solander box with a little marking and a minor stain to the head of the spine is otherwise in very good order. A splendid copy. An elegant edition of Milton's masque in honour of chastity, first performed on Michaelmas in 1634, beautifully printed at C.R. Ashbee's Essex House Press and illuminated by Kate Florence Kingsford Cockerel (1871-1949), one of the leading illuminators of the Arts and Crafts movement. Kingsford learned the techniques of medieval manuscript illumination whilst studying at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, later developing her practice as a student of master calligrapher Edward Johnston. After producing her magnificent edition of The Song of Songs for the Ashendene Press, she began working for the Essex House Press, founded by Charles Robert Ashbee and Laurence Hodson following the closure of William Morris's Kelmscott Press in 1897, with the aim of continuing its Arts and Crafts ethos. Between 1901 and 1904, she contributed decorative initials in colours and gilt to a number of limited-edition books published by the press, each featuring a single long poem printed on vellum. The present work is the eighth in this 'great poems' series. Further details and images for any of the items listed are available on request. Lucius Books welcomes direct contact with our customers.

Seller: LUCIUS BOOKS (ABA, ILAB, PBFA), York, United Kingdom