I've started the mammoth job of making up the pages of Dear Edward, the correspondence of Edward Bawden and Peyton Skipwith. Mammoth because there will be something in region of 200 of them, and there's still an index to be added.
Last month I went with Peyton and Brian Webb, who is designing the book, to visit Richard and Hattie Bawden. Richard is Edward's son, and is himself a wonderful artist. We had the privilege of looking through some of Edward's lino blocks and making a choice for our book. There will be five full-page images, newly printed by Richard's son Philip and reproduced by line block. There will be number of smaller ones through the text too.
We've also been planning the edition. There will be 300 copies hard-bound in a new pattern paper, the page size is 220 x 150 mm and we'll be using Zerkall mould-made paper. The price will be £140, or £95 for pre-publication orders. Postage is not included.
If you'd like to reserve a copy please send me an email. There is also a prospectus in production.
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The first book to be machine set at Hand & Eye was Stone & Scorper, Merlin Waterson's wood engravings with his accompanying text. Light Into Lemonwood is a companion volume that I've recently completed. Like its predecessor, the text is set in 10-on-12 pt Monotype Plantin, a favourite type face. It was designed to print with good colour on uncoated paper, and its weight is somewhat heavier than other faces like Bembo, so it works well with the relatively dark image of a wood engraving.
The paper used is once again Naturalis Smooth Vanilla. John Randle, printer and publisher extraordinaire, told me about Naturalis a few years ago. As he said, its smooth, uncoated surface makes it perfect for wood engravings, and the Vanilla is a pleasing off-white.
The cover is Colorplan 350 gsm, another favourite, and we've used Fry's Ornamented for the title.
Merlin is the publisher as well as the author and illustrator, and if you're interested in his book I'd be pleased to pass on your enquiry.
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Last year I printed two books for Front Street Editions. The first of them, Destination Norfolk, is a short account by Andrew Motion of childhood family holidays. His text is set in Monotype Baskerville and is accompanied by fine wood engravings by Andy English.
The other was Schubert's Winter Journey, the lyrics of his song cycle printed on facing pages in the original German opposite an English translation. German text was a good reason to use Walbaum, a delightful typeface introduced into this country by the Curwen Press in the 1920s and later recut for machine setting by The Monotype Corporation.
The tipped-in frontispiece was a three-colour wood engraving portrait of Schubert by Chris Daunt. It took two attempts to get the paper and the colours right, but it was worth it.
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