An album of early jobbing printing by the Perpetua Press

Old ruled notebook, quarter cloth and boards, 20 x 16cm, containing three mounted photographs of the press-room, c.1935, annotated by hand by Vivian Ridler, and c.20 leaves of mounted samples of jobbing work, mostly from the early 1930s. Followed by a further section of jobbing printing, mostly book labels, produced in the 1950s, with the part-title 'The Perpetua Press revived, Jan. 1954'. In use in Bristol and Oxford, c.1930-36, 1954-55. Covers worn. Contents sound. The three small photographs are views of the press-room in the basement of David Bland's father's vicarage in Cotham, Bristol, one showing Bland himself machine-minding. The work includes small commercial catalogues, handbills, visiting and trade cards, letterheads, etc. In the early years at least, Ridler and Bland seem to have operated as 'The Cotham Printing Guild'.
   For further background see David Bland, 'The Perpetua Press', The Private Library, 2nd series, 3:2, Summer 1970, pp.78-90, and [James Moran], 'The lighthearted Amateur behind the distinguished Professional' [a note on David Bland], Book Design and Production, 1:3, Autumn 1958, pp.15-17. Sold.

Alphabet & Image

Alphabet & Image, nos. 1-8 [all published]. Ed. By Robert Harling. London: Art & Technics, Spring 1946 – December 1948. 8 vols. 4to. Semi-stiff  boards. Nos. 1-4 with plastic comb backs (undamaged), nos. 5-8 sewn. No. 6 worn at foot of spine, otherwise an excellent set housed in two specially made clamshell boxes, qtr. morocco, cloth sides, black leather gilt lettering pieces. Sold.

Berthold Wolpe's Sachsenwald

Seven sheets of early proofs of Berthold Wolpe’s typeface Sachsenwald, showing 24, 48, 22, 36, 14 and 30D sizes. [The Monotype Corporation:] 24/7/36 – 25/11/38. Seven sheets (25 x 20cm) printed one side only. The specimen of 30pt is shown printed on both laid and coated papers. The first five sheets, to 1/2/37, bear the original name of the type, Bismarck Schrift. The type was first shown in the blackletter number of the Monotype Recorder, 36:1, Spring 1937. The completed series 457 consisted of nine sizes. According to Michael Bixler, whose upstate New York typefoundry offers Sachsenwald, only two sets of matrices were ever made. Sold.

Humboldt-Fraktur

STEMPEL (D.) Schriftgiesserei. Humboldt-Fraktur. Frankfurt a M. [c.1939]. 4to card portfolio, 26 x 20cm, containing upwards of 25 pieces being examples of this typeface in use. Designed by Hiero Rhode in 1938. Lacks one small mounted piece. Sold.

Cowell's Steam Printing Works Annual Wayzgoose, 1879

COWELL (S.H.) [later W.S.Cowell Ltd, printers] Cowell’s Steam Printing Works Annual Wayzgoose at the Ordnance Hotel, Felixstowe, July 19th, 1879. [Ipswich, 1879]. 116 x 77mm. Card programme. Pp. [4]. The outside elaborately chromolithographed, the inside printed letterpress in red and green. Some slight evidence of former mounting, but very good. £35

A manuscript arithmetic exercise book, 1819

A manuscript arithmetic exercise book, 1819. 4to. Pp. [168]. A blank book of handmade paper watermarked ‘C.Wilmott 1818’ written throughout in black and red in a very neat script. Orig. parchment boards, edges chafed, worn at foot of backstrip but good and sound. The first page says ‘C.Beale commenced this book June 11th 1819’. It is divided into sixteen sections: Double Fellowship, Profit & Loss, Barter, Vulgar Fractions, etc., some with elaborately embellished calligraphic headings. Including many ‘real life’ problems rich in references to contemporary trade and commerce, estate management, etc. £60