The Wood Engravings of Gwenda Morgan
Andoversford: The Whittington Press, 1985. First Edition. Imperial Octavo, 10 3/8 x 7 3/8 inches (265 x 190 mm); xvi + 44 + 4; Limited edition of 335, of which 35 bound in leather; this copy is Number XXVIII and signed by the artist below the colophon. Bound by Smith Settle in one quarter tan goatskin, gilt spine titling, dark and light brown and orange on midbron Whittington marbled paper-covered boards by Colleen Gryspeerdt. Headbands, top edge brown, rest uncut; Colorplan Bagdad Brown endpapers. Printed in black, the title-page in black and red, and the captions in grey, hand-set in 12-point Bell; Zerkall smooth white wove and Zerkall Silurian papers; 52 wood-engravings and a line-block reproduction of an engraving by Gwenda Morgan. The introduction (pp. xi-xiii) is by John Randle. A list of "Books illustrated by Gwenda Morgan" is on p. [59]. The colophon is set within the gravestone engraving from 'Gray's Elegy' (Golden Cockerel Press, 1946), used there for the Epitaph.
[Butcher 79].
British Book Design and Production Exhibition 19866. The second of a series of monographs on contemporary engravers. Gwenda Morgan (1908-1991) produced engravings for ten books between 1936 and 1956, notably for the Golden Cockerel Press for which she illustrated four titles. Many of her engravings were produced for exhibitions as individual prints and had not been collected together previously. The selection in this volume represents about a quarter of her total output. All were printed from the original blocks, except, no. 37, the block for which was lost.
From the introduction (p. xi): "Christopher Sandford once said that her engravings reminded him of romantic scenes in needlework, embroidery and tapestry. There is a sense of order and formality in her work that does indeed bring such scenes to mind, and the apparent simplicity of her composition and technique disguises a sure eye and a firm hand with the engraving tool."
Condition: Fine.
Item number: 308
ISBN: 9780904845648
Price: $3,000.00
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