Fine Bindings

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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Malory’s – Chronicles of King Arthur – 3 Volumes

Published by the Folio Society in 1982. Three volumes in original slipcase. Octavo, 292,348 and 262 pages. Blue cloth covered bindings decorated in red and gold. A super looking production.

Introductions and explanations by experts Sue Bradbury and Kevin Crossley-Holand and nice lino-cuts by Edward Bawden.

The Chronicles comprise … The Tale of King Arthur; Sir Tristam de Lyonesse and The Morte D’Arthur.

The legendary tales were first put down in one place by George of Monmouth in the early thirteen century. In the fifteenth century Sir Thomas Malory produced the definitive work completed in 1470, This was at the time Caxton really got going with his printing press so Malory’s work was destined to be promoted and preserved. Naturally, the language and expression of Malory’s writing reflects the period and “modern” writers have edited the text to be readable nowadays.

What would King Arthur think of a boxed set?

$140.00

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The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam – Trans Edward Fitzgerald

A Folio Society production from 1970. Their usual lavish production works well in this case – we are not always a fan.

Edward Fitzgerald had a couple of goes at translating The Rubaiyat – this is his first and best we think.

Tall octavo, unpaginated, 75 verses after introductions and a page of helpful notes at the end. Nicely, artistically, illustrated by Virgil Burnett. Decorative end paper, gilt and silvered ornate pattern over red cloth covered boards, gold paper covered custom slipcase.

A nice and attractive Rubaiyat that would make a super gift.

$40.00

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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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Covent Garden Drollery: Printed at The Whitefriars Press for the Fortune Private Press 1927

A seriously special book. Octavo, vi,2,123pages bound in quarter cloth over paper boards, in pictorial speckled paper dust jacket. Illustrated frontispiece, facsimile title from 1672 first, decorated with vignettes. A lovely reprint of the original work. Couldn’t be a better copy.

Subtitled .. A Collection of all the Choice Songs, Poems, Prologues and Epilogues, Sung and Spoken at Courts and Theaters, never printed before. Written by the refined’st Witts of the Age. And collected by A.B. With explanatory notes at the end. Edited by Montague Summers (1880-1948) author and clergyman, who wrote on the occult.

This book is numbered 342 of a limited number of 575 copies. All printed on English unbleached handmade paper … absolutely lovely paper.

Drollery from the past still amusing in the present and beautifully presented

$70.00

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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

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.

Malory’s – Chronicles of King Arthur – 3 Volumes

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam – Trans Edward Fitzgerald

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyan – Peter Pauper Press

Covent Garden Drollery: Printed at The Whitefriars Press for the Fortune Private Press 1927

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