Dryden

1931 · 126966 — 1931. Dacre Street Westminster: The Stourton Press 1931. <br /> <br /> 4to 97 pp. Printed in black and red headpiece decorations by Eliot Hodgkin the decoration for the preface by Edward Le Bas. Full japan vellum boards with yapped edges device in gilt on upper board titled in gilt on backstrip. Bookplate of Otterburn Hall Northumberland. Binding somewhat rubbed and soiled endpapers toned contents clean and very good.<br /> <br /> § Limited to 150 copies on paper and 8 on vellum. This is copy #64 on paper. Printed by Fairfax Hall at his private press at Stourton House in Westminster with the help of H. Gage-Cole formerly of the Kelmscott and Dove Press as well as S. Bradshaw and S. Ball. A handsome printing of Dryden's tragedy and a very early publication of the Stourton Press. <br /> <br /> "Hall had set up the Stourton Press in London in 1930. Having asked advice of the wrong people he had acquired some Caslon type and a Cropper treadle press and was feeling thoroughly discouraged by the poor quality of his work when an opportunity came to employ Gage-Cole. His printing room was revolutionized: The Cropper was replaced by an Albion and the other equipment Gage-Cole thought necessary. For a young man on a junior employee's salary to engage a skilled craftsman was rather adventurous-and very alarming for Hall when he realized what thorough but unhurried work was needed. Hall learned much from Gage-Cole but the latter's strong pro-union attitude was a barrier between them. Also although in 1931 Gage-Cole completed Dryden's All for Love for the Stourton Press it was hard for Hall to find work for him as well as money and it was something of a relief to allow him to go and work for St. John Hornby. Roderick Cave The Private Presses 2nd Ed. p.212-213. unknown