102. A Vale Press errata slip

Although Vale Press books occasionally show editorial mistakes, spelling errors and misprints, only once was an errata leaf printed. Charles Ricketts and Lucien Pissarro cooperated on De la typographie et de l'harmonie de la page imprimée. William Morris et son influence sur les arts et métiers (1898), and an errata slip was inserted on publication. Two mistakes were brought to the attention of the reader:

P. 12, line 4. For "sous" read "sans"
P. 26, line 13. For "Aux tons" read "Au lieu"

Some copies have lost their errata slips, such as the Bodleian Library copies (17006 e. 87 and Walpole e 602). In other copies the slip has been retained, but inserted in different places, such as after d4^v or after 2π^3.

Errata slip in a copy of Charles Ricketts and Lucien Pissarro, De la typographie et de l'harmonie de la page imprimée. William Morris et son influence sur les arts et métiers (1898)

In some copies the owner has corrected the errors in the text. Such is the case with a copy that features the bookplate of James Curle of Priorwood, Melrose, Roxburghshire in Scotland. He settled in the family home on his marriage in 1904, and died there in 1944. The bookplate was designed for him by David Young Cameron in 1911. This copy was sold by Blackwell Books in Oxford in 1987.

Correction on page 12 in a copy of Charles Ricketts and Lucien Pissarro, De la typographie et de l'harmonie de la page imprimée. William Morris et son influence sur les arts et métiers (1898)

On page 12 and page 26 the errors have neatly been corrected in pencil. No other pencil notes or marginalia occur in the pages of this private press book. It suggests that one of the owners wanted to be sure that, whenever he opened the book, he would read the correct text in French. Usually, collectors of private press books have been suspected of looking at rather than reading books, but this kind of user mark would be an argument for the opposite: the collector wanted a perfect text in a well produced edition, even if he had to scribble some of the words himself, which, obviously, was not considered a sacrilege.

Correction on page 26 in a copy of Charles Ricketts and Lucien Pissarro, De la typographie et de l'harmonie de la page imprimée. William Morris et son influence sur les arts et métiers (1898)