Tale Of Beowulf, William Morris (Kelmscott Press 1895) 1st Ed 1st Print 1/300

Description: The Tale Of Beowulf, William Morris (Hammersmith:Kelmscott Press, 1895) 1st Edition, 1st Printing.1 of only 300 copies made by hand/letterpress.A truly collaborative effort of the atelier. A Kelmscott "Canterbury" recently sold in auction for $75,000;so the market on the Morris editions is strong. Dimensions: 8.25 X 11.5", untrimmed, heavy Perch paper.William Morris designed the many wood- and metal-engravedtitles, borders, decorative devices, headers, and special characters and dingbats for this one. Printed in "Troy" (main body), as well as "Chaucer" typefaces for specific notes, sketches, ornaments and glossary. Consider how much time this printing took sinceeach letter slug was individually placed in the sled;ornaments and extra woodblock dingbats were addedlater after the main, and first impression of the letter slugs.A fabulous example of the craft in the hands of the master. Beautiful rich blacks and red counterpoints for the section headers, at a saturation only possiblein deep-embossed letterpress. Interior pages haveedge waviness, but generally expected for a 125 year oldpressing on very thick, high-cotton papers. For themost part off-white to white pages, with some edgecreaming /foxing and discoloration from age. This indeed was a well-protected example. Devoid of any markings other than those from press. Free of any signs of major staining, dampness, or odors. Few defects inside, other than the waviness described, and no names, dedications, or distractions. Binding is a specialty thick, limp velum/parchment, in the true old-style meaning of the word by J. & J. Leighton.Some natural bowing of the parchment from humidity,as the materials tend to be very hygroscopic, and also from not religiously using the linen ties to seal the covers. Again, to be expected with velum/parchment skins.Covers front and rear are nearly immaculate with some toning on edges, slight yellowing overall, and very topical abrasionscommon for age; but demonstrably minimally used. Spine and binding are exceptionally tight. All-corners are present and sharp, hardly any wear to head and foot. Gilt title on spine is nearly perfect. Amazingly square and tight, even considering material and age. No cracks, block stains, or separations. Vellum has waviness in and around the underlying linen ties (they actually course underneath the cover layer, which if you look at the endpaper image you will see the mechanics of the binding—a Leighton developed nuance for Kelmscott—there are other examples)certain areas front and back, but given the ribbon supports that run under the top and bottom panels,to be expected with parchment objects. Silk ribbons have been restored with minimal removal oforiginal linen ribbon materials; there are six such ribbonswhich are thus tied to maintain closure to the text. This is quite an extraordinary example of the letterpresscraft and design of one of the great designers of all time, William Morris, for a truly classic title of literary work.This one is nearly fine, with excuses being given for age and materials used. Very hard to acquire in suchnice condition, and a collector's prize of greatinvestment value for the longer term! This wouldbe a definitive addition to a museum collection.Premium over-market price reflects its conditionrelative to other previous offerings by sellers. About William Morris. William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, novelist, translator, and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He was a major contributor to the revival of traditional British textile arts and methods of production. His literary contributions helped to establish the modern fantasy genre, while he played a significant role propagating the early socialist movement in Britain. "Morris is recognized as one of the most significant cultural figures of Victorian Britain. He was best known in his lifetime as a poet, although he posthumously became better known for his designs. The William Morris Society founded in 1955 is devoted to his legacy, while multiple biographies and studies of his work have been published. Many of the buildings associated with his life are open to visitors, much of his work can be found in art galleries and museums, and his designs are still in production." [wiki] Please see hi-res scans for details. Condition. If you have any specific questions aboutcondition please do not hesitate to contact me. Questions. Please ask any questions ahead of purchase,by clicking the link at the top of the listing. Payment. Payment must be received within 2 days from end date. Shipping. We ship well-packaged items by UPS, USPS, or Fedex. Items are usually sent with signature confirmation, and are safely and securely packaged. Your item is well-cared for. This one ships registered, insured, and with witnessed packaging/shippingensuring content is complete before carrier acceptance. Returns: I don’t accept returns, but you are protected by Ebay policy. EBay feedback. I want to provide you with a 5-Star experienceso you’re happy. If for any reason you’re not satisfied,please contact me prior to leaving feedback.

Price: 27000 USD

Location: Pasadena, California

End Time: 2024-09-14T03:08:04.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD