Private Presses and Their Books; The History of the Private Press Movement with detailed check-lists of nearly 3000 titles issued by over 300 presses by Ransom, Will - 1929

New York [Chicago]: R. R. Bowker Company [printed at the Lakeside Press], 1929. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/good +. One of 1200 copies, octavo size, 494 pp. Will Ransom (1878-1955) was an American graphic designer and preeminent bibliographer of private presses. This volume includes a history of the private press movement in England and America with detailed check-lists of the publications, arranged chronologically under the name of the press, with an index of presses, books, and individuals. The private press movement began around the turn of the twentieth century; motivated by a rejection of cheaper, commercial printings of books, these artisans strove to create beautiful books with high-quality materials, such as handmade paper and specially designed typefaces.

___DESCRIPTION: Full rust cloth with gilt lettering and ruled borders on the front board and spine, brown speckled top edge, black-and-white facsimiles of material printed at the presses as well as printers' designs throughout; octavo size (9.25" by 6.25"), pagination: [1-6] 7 [8] 9 [10] 11 [12-14] 15-493 [1 colophon], one of 1200 copies, unnumbered, "designed and printed under the direction of Will Ranson at the Lakeside Press, R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, Chicago". In a salmon-coloured dust jacket with red lettering and ruled borders on the front and back covers and the spine.

___CONDITION: Volume is near fine; with clean boards, straight corners, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; some minor rubbing to the top and bottom of the boards, the corners, and the head and tail of spine, else fine. The dust jacket is better than good, complete, but with some smalls chips to the corners of the flaps, most noticeably to the head of the spine (no loss of text), a small closed tear to the top of the back cover (about 1"), some overall soiling to the front and back covers and the spine, and the spine lightly sunned.

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