Available Copies from Independent Booksellers
Algernon Charles Swinburne. Laus Veneris [Prospectus]. The Golden Cockerel Press, London, 1948.
Price: US$19.20 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Two-sided prospectus from The Golden Cockerel Press to promote Laus Veneris. Full-page engraving by John Buckland-Wright on front page with a smaller illustration from the book on the reverse. Printed on mould-made paper. Creasing to top margin of this leaflet. Untrimmed lower edge with hint of toning. Previously folded in half. Now laid flat. Will adjust overseas shipping costs to reflect weight of this prospectus.
Seller: The Bookshop at Beech Cottage, Newbury, United Kingdom
Price: US$317.24 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: Quarter cloth with decorative patterned boards. Gilt title and Golden Cockerel emblem on spine. Wood engraved frontispiece, title page and 9 engravings by John Buckland Wright of which 4 full-page. Printed on mould-made paper. The book was designed, produced and published by Christopher Sandiford for the Golden Cockerel Press. Number 699 of a limited edition of 750 copies. 28 pp., 25,6 x 16,7 cm. Small bookseller ticket on pastedown. Slightest wear to spine ends, else fine. A very collectible copy.
Seller: Concept Books, Veldhoven, Netherlands
Algernon Charles Swinburne, John Buckland-Wright. Laus Veneris. The Golden Cockerel Press, 1948.
Price: US$350.00 + shipping
Condition: Very Good
Description: Very good copy in quarter cloth with patterned paper-covered boards. Gilt titles on spine. Top edge gilt, deckled fore-edges. Spine is lightly sunned. Toning right along fore-edges of pages. Spot on last endpaper. Numbered 622/750 copies. With glassine jacket which is about 1/2 inch too short. We would be happy to send photos upon request.
Seller: Jackson Street Booksellers, Omaha, NE, U.S.A.
Price: US$400.00 + shipping
Condition: Near Fine
Description: One of 750 copies, quarto size, 30 pp., with prospectus. Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837-1909) was a part of the Pre-Raphaelite circle which included Dante Gabriel Rossetti, at times with a "medievalising strain" inspired by Edward Burne-Jones; at one point Swinburne met William Morris which may have had an additional influence on his work. In this work Swinburne "explores the relationship between the femme fatale and the tragic lover"; speaking through the figure of the Knight, who is "doomed to live forever in the Venus mountain, with his goddess-love: the tragic aspect of the legend comes from the knight's belief that he has lost God's grace; thus although he gains his love, he conceives of this as a sin" (n.b., above info from Wiki and an article by Siobhan Lam, Brown University, 2006, on "The Victorian Web"). With lovely wood engravings by John Buckland-Wright (1897-1954), who was born in New Zealand and moved to England at a young age; initially a student of architecture he instead decided to pursue a career in art. He worked primarily with illustrating private press books, many for the Golden Cockerel Press; his "naturally elegant style, coupled with his abiding interest in the female form, created a distinctive and sensuous style" (n.b., quote from the web site of Brier Hill Gallery). ___DESCRIPTION: Bound in quarter purple cloth with marbled paper over boards, gilt lettering and publisher's device on the spine, top edge gilt, fore- and bottom edges uncut, illustrated title page, eleven total wood-engravings including the frontispiece; Perpetua type on mould-made paper, quarto size (10" by 6.5"), pagination: [1]-28 [1, blank], [1, colophon], limited edition of 750 copies, this no. 285. Loosely laid in is the prospectus, a single sheet measuring 9 3/4" by 6 1/4", the title page on the recto, one illustration and information on the verso. ___CONDITION: Near fine overall, the marbled paper sides clean (with some light rubbing on the back board), straight corners without rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; the cloth on the spine lightly sunned with a hint of wear at the head and tail. The prospectus very good, with light toning, the original mailing fold and minor overall wear. ___CITATION: Cockalorum no. 178. ___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details. ___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
Seller: Swan's Fine Books, ABAA, ILAB, IOBA, Walnut Creek, CA, U.S.A.