Last weekend saw the International Antiquarian Book & Map Fair in Amsterdam (which, for personal reasons, I could not attend). Considering the online catalogues of some exhibitors, it must have been a delight to explore the range on offer.
There were at least two Vale Press books on offer.
Iris van Daalen (Antiquarian Bookshop Acanthus, Utrecht) showed a copy of William Blake's The Book of Thel. Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience (1897) in an 'Exhibition' binding by Zaehnsdorf. Her description ran: 'Full brown crushed morocco, frontcover elaborately decorated in gilt a design of swirling branches with leaves and dots. The spine with raised bands and gilt decorated in four compartments with the same leaves and dots, which also come back at the turn-ins. Signed by Zaehnsdorf on front turn-in and with their gilt oval exhibition stamp showing a binder using a backing hammer on rear pastedown. Top edge gilt. With a small dedication in ink on the first blank leaf, dated "Dec. 1899" and a small "R" in ink on the last blank leaf.' |
| The Book of Thel. Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience (1897) Binding by Zaehnsdorf (from a snapshot) |
The other Vale Press book was shown by Sophie Schneideman Rare Books (London). A copy of Mathew Arnold's Empedocles on Etna (1896). This was the copy owned previously by the Keeper of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum, Campbell Dodgson - Ricketts, Shannon and Dodgson knew each other quite well. In 1905, for example, Ricketts and Dodgson both became members of the Executive Committee of the recently founded Vasari Society.
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| Bookplate of Campbell Dodgson in Mathew Arnold, Empedocles on Etna (1896) |
Sophie Schneideman also brought a vellum copy of Lord de Tabley's Poems Dramatic and Lyrical with the enigmatic cover designed by Ricketts.
These books may or may not have been sold by now.
