“Hung out to dry”

Incline Press has recently published another celebration of the broadsheet and other ephemera:

Hung out to Dry
A typographic extravaganza
83 pages, 14 x 10 inches, the book has a cloth spine and marbled paper over boards, and is housed in a cloth-covered slipcase.

Single-sheet printing feeds the creative energy at Incline Press like nothing else. While we take much serious pleasure in seeing a book through from its manuscript beginnings to its completion in the bindery, printing ephemera sets us free to play.

Hung Out to Dry is a scrapbook of the last seven years of printers’ play. Sixty-seven examples of such ephemera include broadsheets, slip songs, handbills, keepsakes, bookmarks, bookplates, and small posters displaying more than 60 typefaces from Arrighi to Weiss. A wide variety of rare borders, stock blocks, wood engravings and linocuts decorate them. Texts include classic poetry, bookish extracts and amusing quotations.

A descriptive text, set in 12 point Garamond, puts each piece into context, describing the type and ornaments used and the occasion for which it was printed.

The Special edition has sold out, but copies of the standard edition are still available, bound by Chris Hicks with a cloth spine and marbled paper boards . The prospectus advertises this book without a slipcase, but once it was bound we realised that it needed casing, and have set the price accordingly at £175 post paid.

Three Truly New Books from Incline Press

Contrary to my last post, these items truly are recent (or soon to come) productions from Incline Press:

The first is a retelling of Aesop’s fable of The Miller, His Son & Their Ass, which unfortunately doesn’t have a website and, more unfortunately, is sold out. The Incline website indicates that “Copies may still be available from Oak Knoll Books in the US and Collinge & Clark in London or Bruce Holdsworth Books in St Leonards on Sea — all are on the web.” If you’re bummed about this, become a subscriber and never miss out on another Incline book!

Next up is Sunspots: Poems by Ray Greenblatt with a tri-tone linocut by Bert Eastman. From the description:

We thought these poems deserved special treatment, so we’ve selected hand-made paper imported from India, purchased bright new founts of 16 point Weiss Italic type from the Bauer Foundry in Barcelona Spain for hand setting, and asked Bert Eastman to make us a tri-tone linocut after a marble relief of the sun in the Archaeological Museum at Bergama in Turkey. Beyond that, the poems are reliant on their language for adornment and illustration.

We are sewing the tri-fold leaves in an unglued binding with golden Irish linen thread onto yellow ribbons which tie to keep the book closed. It is then slipped into an archival manilla chemise with a title-label.

The edition is of 100 copies only and costs £45.00 including delivery or £36.00 for unsewn sheets.

Last is a printing of the first Justin Howes Memorial Lecture delivered by James Mosley, Handmade Type: Thoughts on the preservation of typographic materials:

Three hundred and fifty copies of this lecture have been printed on Zerkall Butten paper using Monotype Caslon cast by Harry McIntosh at Speedspools. The title-page border uses 19th-century Figgins ornaments recast by Stevens Shanks in the 1960s.

The book is two sections, 24 pages, 10 x 6 inches, and cased in stiff card with a square spine.

£3.00/$5.00 from each book sold will be donated to the Justin Howes Memorial Lecture fund.

(Relatively) New from Incline Press: Garden Relicts

Garden Relicts by Bert & Molly Eastman was published by the Incline Press last Fall or perhaps even last Summer [I really am behind on things!]. From the website:

As with gardening, this is a joint effort. While Molly may hold the pen and Bert the knife, each looks over the shoulder of the other as the work progresses, making this a thoroughly integrated collaboration. There are twenty-one pages, printed recto only, hand set in 24 point Bembo italic and illustrated with fifteen one, two and three colour linocuts and copper relief etchings. The stab-sewn binding has been done by hand in the workshop of Chris Hicks using cloth hinges and an original Curwen Press Elizabeth Friedlander patterned paper over the boards. Printed on Magnani paper in an edition of 140 copies, all numbered and signed.

Order a copy or get in touch with Graham & Kathy.

New from Incline Press

Burin, Box & Board: Lennart Forsberg is the latest book from Incline Press. Here are some of the details:

The wood engravings, wood cuts and linocuts of graphic artist Lennart Forsberg are at the centre of Burin, Box and Board. The book contains thirty-nine prints, all printed from the original wood or lino, as well as a photo of the artist taken beside his 1873 hand press. These prints, along with the text, reveal the many aspects of Forsberg’s long working life as an engraver, designer and printmaker. [...]

Set in Gill Sans, including the rarely seen alternative letterforms cut in the 1930s to conform to other sans serif designs, the titling and page numbers are printed in a clear aqua and the text in a soft grey in order to privilege the black and white of the wood engravings. The book is about 10 inches square (260 mm), four 16-page sections, 57 pages in all and hand bound in the workshop of Stephen Conway in printed-paper over boards with a cloth spine.

Of an edition of 150, ten are the gift of the artist; one hundred copies are slipcased and include a loose copy of one of the three-colour woodcuts from the book. Sheets of this edition for binders are priced at £100.00; bound copies of the standard edition are £136.00.

Forty specials, each housed in a drop-back box, also include six signed and numbered prints (five multi-coloured and one black and white) printed specially for the edition by Lennart Forsberg in his studio in Sweden. A copy of the 23-page illustrated catalogue published for Forsberg’s 90th Anniversary Retrospective Exhibition and a photograph of the artist at his proofing press taken by Thorsten Sjölin in October 2005 are also included in the box. This special edition is priced at £282.00.

For more information on this, or any other Incline Press book, visit their website or contact them directly:

Mail: Incline Press 36 Bow Street Oldham OL1 1SJ
Phone: 0161 627 1966 (from overseas, drop the first 0 and add 011 44 before the 161)
E-mail: books.inclinepress@virgin.net

A Paper Snowstorm

Now published (I’m pretty sure) is the latest from Incline Press – A Paper Snowstorm: Toni Savage & the Leicester Broadsheets.

Ever since the early 1960s, the private presses of Leicester and the surrounding country have attracted particular attention for their remarkable booklet and broadsheet publications. At the centre of the exploits was Toni Savage — one-time opera singer and now folk-club enthusiast and printer extraordinary — an active inspiration to many potential printer-publishers in the waning days of commercial letterpress. A Paper Snowstorm is his story, as told by several of his contemporaries: Alan Brignull, Duine Campbell, Rigby Graham & Cynthia Savage, with examples of printed work as the main illustrations. The book includes a listing of broadsheets issued with Leicestershire imprints to the end of 2004, compiled by Derek Deadman. The book is illustrated throughout with more than thirty-five facsimiles tipped onto the pages, woodcuts, engravings, line drawings and photographs of the printers at work. In a folder within the book’s slipcase are ten original Leicester Broadsheets: five Phoenix Broadsheets from the press of Toni Savage and at least one each from Alan Brignull, Derek Deadman, Hans van Eijk, Rigby Graham and Cynthia Savage. The book has been printed in an edition of 200. 14 x 10 inches the book, with the accompanying folder comes in a slipcase. Printed from metal type using a Victoria Platen Press, the text is set in Bembo on Magnani mould-made paper and bound in the workshop of Stephen Conway. The price is £168 ($300) including post and packing.

Direct queries (or orders) to books.inclinepress@virgin.net or Incline Press, 36 Bow Street, Oldham OL1 1SJ, England.

Two Books from Incline Press

Recently issued from Incline Press:
Images of History by Terry Wyke is a history of Manchester Metropolitan University as told through a series of lovely illustrations.

To be published (maybe already released):
A Christmas Carol illustrated by Chris Burke. From the prospectus:

Among his colour work Chris Burke has created over fifty murals for Ottaker’s bookshops, from Banbury to Woking, and many a cover for The Sunday Times Books section, as well as many advertising commissions and book jackets. His black and white works include the series of portraits, Birthdays of the Rich and Famous, and a particularly striking poster for the Welsh National Opera production of Carmen. A portfolio of his work can be seen at www.chrisburke.org.uk.

Surpisingly this is his first illustrated book, and we are pleased to have four full colour plates and four more in black and white. The book is printed from metal type and hand bound with a cloth spine and decorated paper sides over boards.

Eight copies containing one each of the original illustrations have already been spoken for. The rest of the edition of two hundred copies, each numbered, contains an original sketch made while planning the illustrations, signed by Chris Burke.

Copies will be posted in the first week of December, and the price of $130 includes postage. There are no loose items in this book, but should you require a slip-case to match the book, they can be ordered for delivery with the book, price $30 each.

For more information or to order a copy, contact Graham Moss and Kathy Whalen, Incline Press, 36 Bow Street, Oldham OL1 1SJ England, http://www.inclinepress.com, books.inclinepress@virgin.net.

Peggy Angus Exhibition at St. Bride’s

Peggy Angus: Inspirations & Influences
An exhibition at the St Bride Institute
Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London
16 November — 15 December 2005

Opening with a private view and illustrated lecture by Carolyn Trant
author of Art for Life
in aid of the Friends of the St Bride Library,
on 15 November 2005 at 6.30 p.m.
Entry £5 (concs. £3).
Further details will be available from the St Bride Library web site.

As well as prints and artwork by Peggy Angus, this exhibition will include the work of 5 craft workers directly inspired by Peggy:

• Katherine Morris Hand-blocked wallpaper
• Di Hall Tiles worth walking on
• Carolyn Trant Artist’s books from Parvenu Press
• Philippa Threlfall Black Dog of Wells decorative terracotta tiles
• Barry Viney The teacher taught

News from Incline Press

The monumental Art for Life: The Story of Peggy Angus was finished a month or so ago, but I had forgotten to post it here:

Art for Life is a big book, 240 pages and 15 x 10 inches. It is letterpress printed on a Victoria Platten Press in Monotype Scotch Roman and Italic (’cause we thought Peggy would approve) on a bespoke Magnani paper. The book has been hand bound in the workshop of designer binder Stephen Conway, using quality bookcloth and a patterned paper made from one of Peggy’s designs. As those who knew her will appreciate, Peggy’s output is much too large to be contained between the covers of a simple book. The pages are filled with photos, reproductions and prints. The book needs to be specially housed. In consultation with Stephen Conway, a slip case has been devised to hold the book and a specially-designed portfolio. This will contain four facsimile sketchbooks and a CD of Peggy taken from the tapes Carolyn made while working on the book with her. On the CD are a few of her stories of life in the 1940s, opening and, of course, Peggy singing Raggle Taggle Gypsy O.

The book is priced at £300 or $600 including all mailing and packing charges.

Also upcoming is A Paper Snowstorm: Toni Savage & the Leicester Broadsheets, a biography of this important figure in the English folk music scene of the 1960s which will contain a whole slew of broadsheets: facsimiles, originals, and new ones printed by Joe Quercus at the Aardvark Press, Alan Brignall at the Hedgehog Press and Cynthia Savage’s Fenice Press.

Due for publication November 1st 2005: A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, with colour illustrations by Chris Burke.

Latest News from Incline Press

Wandering over to the Incline Press website, I noticed two bits of news. The first is a status report on Art for Life: The Story of Peggy Angus:

Graham has been printing and tipping-in illustrations on the thirteenth section of the book. We have 145 pages printed, and about 50 pages still to print. So far he has printed more than one dozen original linocuts and added about 150 illustrations. The portfolios are complete and Carolyn has finished the index, a necessity, we thought, since Peggy had such wide-ranging friendships and was involved with so many groups and issues.

the second item being the announcement of the next book off the press, A Paper Snowstorm: Toni Savage & the Leicester Broadsheets:

Derek Deadman and Rigby Graham have collaborated on the text for this long-overdue biography of Toni Savage and the Leicester Broadsheets. An integral part of the folk music revival of the 1960’s, Toni Savage and his Leicester folk club inspired a concurrent revival in the art of the broadsheet. Including facsimiles of broadsheets printed by Savage, as well as new ones printed by Joe Quercus at the Aardvark Press, Alan Brignall at the Hedgehog Press and Cynthia Savage’s Fenice Press.

Additional information can be had from their website or via email (books.inclinepress@virgin.net).

Incline Press: “Art for Life”

ART for LIFE: The story of Peggy Angus
by Carolyn Trant
with a forward by Tanya Harrod

Art for Life will be letterpress printed in monotype Scotch Roman and Italic (’cause we thought Peggy would approve) on a bespoke Magnani paper. The book is large, 15 x 10 inches, and hand bound in the workshop of designer binder Stephen Conway, using bookcloth and a patterned paper made from one of Peggy’s designs. As those who knew her will appreciate, Peggy’s output is much too large to be contained between the covers of a simple book. The pages are filled with photos, reproductions and prints. The book needs to be specially housed. In consultation with Stephen Conway, a slip case has been devised to hold the book and a specially-designed portfolio. This will contain four facsimile sketchbooks and a CD of Peggy taken from the tapes Carolyn made while working on the book with her. On the CD are a few of her stories of life in the 1940s, opening and closing with a song.

The price for the book has been finalized at £288 or $520 (at the present rate of exchange) plus postage at cost. We are offering a discount to subscribers who are willing to pay a little in advance, and such subscribers’ names will be printed in the book in alphabetical order. There will be a ten percent discount off the final price in exchange for the subscription. A pre-publication payment of £100 or $200 will reserve your copy. Email us if you have any queries, or print out our order form and post it to us at 36 Bow Street Oldham OL1 1SJ. Full details will also be found in our printed prospectus.