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.