A Lecture for the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society
ONE OF 45 ON VELLUM
Gothic Architecture: A Lecture for the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society
Kelmscott Press, 1893.
First edition, one of 45 copies on vellum. First state, with 'gilds' for 'guilds' on p.41 and 'Van Eyk' for 'Van Eyck' on p.45. Large 16mo. Original holland-backed boards with brown linen spine. Printed using Red and black Golden type, designed by Morris. Woodblock initials also design by Morris and engraved by William Harcourt Hooper. A near fine copy, with a few faint stains to the boards but internally bright and clean.
The transcript of a lecture given by Morris in 1889 and printed by his Kelmscott press for the Arts and Crafts Exhibition at the New Gallery in Regent Street in 1893, in its most sumptuous form.
Due to its popularity, the edition on paper (of 500 copies) was reprinted twice during the exhibition, with the later issues correcting the errors on p. 41 and 45. Peterson states that all vellum copies contained the corrections of the second state, but this is likely to be incorrect as the four vellum copies we have seen (including this one) are all in the first state.
It was Morris's practice to have of the works from his Kelmscott Press printed in a small number of copies on vellum, alongside the paper edition. These are now in the utmost demand from collectors of private presses, partly for their extreme scarcity but also for their beauty in the way that vellum takes the ink with such crispness.
Halsey Ricardo was an noted English architect in the Arts and Craft style. He worked closely with William de Morgan and William Morris.
PROVENANCE: Halsey Ricardo (English architect, ownership name to front free end paper)
Peterson A18, Cary 187
Stock ID: 46720
£20,000.00
