Private Press

Marius The Epicurean: His Sensations and Ideas – Walter Pater – Special Two Volume Limited Edition – Velum Backed, Batik Covered, Hand-Made Paper, Illustrated – One of 300 Published – 1929

Really striking books any description difficult to do them justice – would make a super gift for someone that deserves them! More images to come.

A fine and unusual presentation of this unique work by Walter Pater published by McMillan, London in 1929.

Two volumes, quarto, bound quarter vellum over batik papered boards. Gilt to spine and top edge. Sixteen dry-point full page illustrations by Thomas Mackenzie. Printed on hand made paper. Only 300 copies.

Volume I – 143 pages, Vol II 144-278 pages. Eight illustrations in each. Slight toning in ends otherwise fine.

Walter Pater’s philosophical novel of 1885 here with an introductory essay by J.C. Squire.

Set in the Rome of the Antonines [AD 161-177], the Golden Age of Rome. The work is an imaginary portrait of the intellectual development of our protagonist, Marius. It was well received on publication being Pater’s only ever full-length novel. Influenced on the likes of Oscar Wilde and his … Dorian Gray.

Pater was at the centre of the Oxford circle in his day – knew Rossetti tutored Manley Hopkins etc.

The introductory essayist of this edition Sir John Collings Squire was the editor of the distinguished literary magazine The London Mercury. Seemingly, he was a bit of a drunk, foul mouthed and not at all liked by the Bloomsbury mob.

The illustrator Thomas Mackenzie [1887-1944] similar in style to the likes of Aubrey Beardsley … his better known work may have been as illustrator to the popular version of Aladdin by Arthur Ransome.

A special work with an extra special presentation.

$290.00

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Sete – Images of Provence – Seven Poems by Count Potocki of Montalk; Five Drawings by Marjorie Jackson- Pownall – Limited Numbered Eccentric Private Press

A scarce work by the rather odd Count Potocki of Montalk. Number sixty five of 120 copies set by hand by Count Potocki of Montalk, [which] have been printed by hand and foot by him.

Produced in the aforementioned style at The Melissa Press, Villa Vigoni, Chemin de St Martin, Draguignan, Var France – the authors home – 1972.

Printed on Fabriano watermarked paper – we are told in the introduction that “we went to Italy expressly to buy the art paper on which to print Marjorie Jackson-Pownall’s charming drawings, with their unambiguous clarity” ….

Large octavo, 18 pages, bound quarter green cloth over papered [wallpaper?] boards – a fine copy.

Copyright and limitation page, title, charming rather haphazard introduction, the poems and drawings – hints of risqué … see below authors background – artwork neat.

The Count was born in New Zealand in 1903. He is generally described as a poet, polemicist and pretender to the Polish throne – he did genuinely have connections. In 1926 he deserted his wife and child for Europe and the arts. First, to England where he developed his extreme right-wing views knew Mosley but, appears to have been more interested in Mosley’s wife. Moved to Draguignan in southern France after WWII mixed with fellow arty folks in the region and printed several unusual private press items. Backtrack – in England in the 1930’s he was sent to prison for attempting to publish what was then regarded as obscene literature – “the Lament of Sir John Penis” along with translations of Rabelais and Verlaine. He was supported in court by Leonard and Virgina Woolf. Aldous Huxley later arranged bail for another skirmish with the law and funded the purchase of Potocki’s first printing press.

Potocki was a truly odd one – often went about dressed in what he thought was medieval garb – tights, satin pyjamas all wrapped up in velvet curtains etc.

The eccentric Count Potocki of Montalk – a unique item

$120.00

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Australian Private Press: The Dying Stockman – A Ballad … with Notes by Hugh Anderson and Lino Cuts by Ronald Edwards – No 1 of The Black Bull Chapbooks from The Ram’s Skull Press – Signed Limited No 50 of 75.

This is quite a story. Ron Edwards would eventually be given an OAM for his lifetime of work preserving Australian bush heritage. The Rams Skull Press still exists and is run by Ron’s son out of the Brisbane Valley. Ron himself moved from Ferntree, Victoria to equally beautiful Kuranda behind Cairns before he packed his bags.

This first of firsts printed in hand set Baskerville on Tudor Antique paper by R.G. Edwards at the sign of the Rams Skull Press … Lording Street, Lower Ferntree Fully, Victoria … limitation .. February, 1954.

Comprising music score, illustrated with woodcuts, hand sewn with leather ties, preserved inside original goatskin covers. A few insect nibbles to goatskin, otherwise all in excellent condition.

The verses are The Dying Stockman; Rosin the Beau; The Tarpaulin Jack and The Dying Digger … a bit of dying but they seemed to have had a good life and needed few possessions.

Scarce wondrous Australian bush verses printed on a flat bed everything by hand – dressed in goat skin.

$190.00

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A Season in Hell – Arthur Rimbaud – special edition – c1930

With and introduction by George Frederick Lees. No date but circa 1930.

Small octavo, 78 pages, dust jacket shelf worn, chipped edges, fading to spine. Title page printed in red and black, limited to 600 copies. Previous ownership details on free end paper, still a pretty good copy of a sought after Rimbaud translation.

Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891) a unique poet and writer, often described as the ‘Father” of modern poetry. This was his masterpiece. A long prose poem recording his spiritual revolt and struggle. Originally published in 1873.

If you are not familiar with Rimbaud, then you should get to know him. How could someone experience so much so early in life? Set out in nine parts of varying length differing markedly in tone and ease of understanding. Persevere though as here we have a sure piece of genius. At the time of writing Rimbaud had been through a tempestuous homosexual relationship with poet Paul Verlaine. Ending the relationship Verlaine shot Rimbaud and was imprisoned. Rimbaud went to London and took to opium and gin … returning to France to finish and publish A Season in Hell. He never wrote again after the age of twenty years. He then became a merchant and explorer overseas and sadly died of cancer at the age of 37.

Arthur Rimbaud’s Hell – such an influence

$60.00

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Tales From the Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio [Beautifully Illustrated] – Private Printing 1937

Private Printed in, London 1937. A rare edition. Text based on an anonymous translation of 1741 revised by S.W. Orson in 1898. The striking illustrations are printed from linocuts by Edmondo Lucchesi, and we are told the typeface is 16-point Poliphilus.

Demo-folio, quarter red cloth backed decorated red/pink paper covered boards with paper title to front. 89 pages numerous woodcuts. Some ageing near the ends, still a better than good copy of a favourite illustrated book.

Boccaccio’s tales amusing, moral suggestions, and the odd amoral act. The long introductory title to each gives a flavour e.g.

“Masse da Lamorecchio, pretending to be dumb, is appointed gardener at a nunnery, and is favourably received by the inmates”, and

“Pernella puts her gallant into a tub on her husband’s coming home, which tub the husband had sold; she consequently tells him that she had also sold it to a person who was then in it to see if it were sound; upon this the man jumps out and makes the husband and makes the husband clean it for him”.

Boccaccio with the titillating woodcuts of Edmondo Lucchesi

$120.00

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The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyan – Peter Pauper Press

A lovely little production by the superb Mount Vernon, Peter Pauper Press printed delightfully on rag paper.

The Edward Fitzgerald translation illustrated by Jeff Hill. No date but likely 1970′s

Unpaginated but 62 pages with 9 full page illustrations, the verses printed crisply within decorative borders. Decorated paper covered boards the design of which carries over to the dust jacket. Very good condition albeit a little ageing to the jacket.

The Rubaiyat should require no introduction .. every library should have several versions of which this a special one.

The Rubaiyat by the special Peter Pauper Press.

$40.00

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Marius The Epicurean: His Sensations and Ideas – Walter Pater – Special Two Volume Limited Edition – Velum Backed, Batik Covered, Hand-Made Paper, Illustrated – One of 300 Published – 1929

Sete – Images of Provence – Seven Poems by Count Potocki of Montalk; Five Drawings by Marjorie Jackson- Pownall – Limited Numbered Eccentric Private Press

Australian Private Press: The Dying Stockman – A Ballad … with Notes by Hugh Anderson and Lino Cuts by Ronald Edwards – No 1 of The Black Bull Chapbooks from The Ram’s Skull Press – Signed Limited No 50 of 75.

A Season in Hell – Arthur Rimbaud – special edition – c1930

Tales From the Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio [Beautifully Illustrated] – Private Printing 1937

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyan – Peter Pauper Press

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