Acquisitions Eragny Press books Jacinta Fleming

The University of Melbourne’s to the village in Normandy where his acquisition in 2007 of the complete family lived, Eragny-sur-Epte, to publications of the Eragny Press make lithographs and sell illustrations (1894–1914) has major significance to art and literary journals which were to the Baillieu Library’s Special then popular in France. During this Collections. It is the only complete time he also discovered the art of holding of this press in the southern Kate Greenaway and Walter Crane hemisphere, as with the University’s and designed and illustrated children’s Kelmscott Press holdings. There are books for his younger siblings. This only three other complete Eragny period was intrinsic to the later collections in the world, two in the development of Eragny Press, and United States and one in the British Lucien was able to discover his own Library.1 The collection will also style and expertise. Frustrated with substantially increase the depth and the cost of production and the breadth of the University’s research influence of publishers he set out to holdings on the Arts and Crafts learn the art of wood engraving, movement in England in the late which became his preferred medium. 19th and early 20th centuries. The In 1890 his father sent him back to series of 32 books includes the very combine English Arts and Crafts England to gain entry into the rare Whym Chow, the last book design with a French Impressionist decorative arts movement so the printed, of which only 27 copies were interest in colour, light and sensations family could bring these ideas back to produced. Also included are two after nature.3 France. Lucien felt that England, separate editions of Areopagitica by generally considered more receptive John Milton. The first edition is one History than France to decorative and graphic of just 40 to have survived a fire at the Eragny Press was a joint venture art, would appreciate his wood bookbinders (initially all were between Lucien Pissarro and his wife engravings. He became involved in thought to have been destroyed). Esther. Lucien (1863–1944), a shy, the world of English book Eragny Press is considered one of quiet and gentle man, was the son of illustration, typography and binding. the ‘big six amongst modern Presses’,2 the French Impressionist painter Lucien was strongly influenced by which greatly influenced book design Camille Pissarro. He learnt to draw the Arts and Crafts movement, in and typography in Europe and the and paint from his father, frequently particular William Morris at United States. Eragny books do not going on painting trips together to Kelmscott Press (established 1891). resemble the books produced by other paint from nature—a practice they Morris in turn looked to Gothic private presses of the period. continued all their lives.4 Lucien design for his inspiration, using Elements that set them apart include spent some time in England when he special papers designed to emulate their beautiful flowered covers which was 20 years of age, returning home early 15th century Bolognese papers

28 University of Melbourne Collections, Issue 2, July 2008 Opposite: Margaret Rust, The queen of the fishes: An adaptation in English of a fairy tale of Valois … with illustrations designed on the wood, cut and printed by Lucien Pissarro, Chelsea, London: Charles Ricketts, 1894. Special Collections, Baillieu Library, University of Melbourne. Frontispiece.

Left: Lucien and Esther Pissarro, trademark of the Eragny Press.

with specially hammered gold leaf woodblock initials, and the In choosing his titles, Lucien and vellum for covers. Lucien was ornaments. Lucien was experimenting appealed to a range of interests, and also influenced by the work of with three-, four- and five-colour the books produced during the Vale Charles Ricketts who founded the wood engravings in a book world association were printed in French to Vale Press and became his closest moulded by the tradition of English attract continental collectors, with friend, mentor and publisher. Ricketts black and white illustration.8 Each their aesthetic being Pre-Raphaelite. looked towards earlier Renaissance book had a varied print run of The second half of the Eragny output books which were simpler in design. between 150 and 230 copies. was printed in English, but was As a result his designs were less dense French in character.9 than those of Morris.5 The Eragny Press collection Lucien met and married Esther The collection now in the Baillieu The books Bensusan in 1892 in spite of both Library was owned by Enid and There were two phases of the Eragny families’ objections, and stayed in Ernest Verity, who were personal Press. The first 16 books used England, as Esther refused to live in friends and business colleagues of the Ricketts’ Vale type. The second type France. The daughter of a well-to-do Pissarros. Ernest was a surveyor and was named The Brook, after the Jewish family, Esther was an worked on the Pissarros’ house ‘The Pissarros’ house in Chiswick. The independent and headstrong Brook’ in Chiswick for many years. types created by these private presses character. She showed an early The first book, The queen of the fishes, helped create a distinctive personality interest in art and could draw with numbered 142 (1894), is inscribed ‘To not possible with commercial types. skill and ease.6 Husband and wife Mr. and Mrs Verity / In remembrance When Vale Press closed down for believed in the ethos of the Arts and of Nov. the 21st 1894 / from instance, the type itself was melted Crafts movement where the artist was [monogram of Lucien Pissarro]’. The down, as Ricketts could not bear the united with the craftsman. This other 17 inscribed books date from thought of its being used in books revolution in the industrial arts 1901 to 1906. It appears that the over which he had no control.10 Colin considered ‘everyday objects in terms friendship cooled, as the inscriptions Franklin, in his Private presses, argues of satisfying design and careful stop abruptly, and the collection may that the Brook type, on the white craftsmanship’.7 Lucien was the have been put together by a paper of the small pages of the designer and principal wood engraver, combination of the Veritys and the Eragny Press books, was the most while Esther became the technical next owner of the books. beautiful font invented in this whole skill behind the press. They did The books are in their original period.11 Esther, three years after everything themselves, from making bindings and are generally in Lucien’s death, in 1947 threw the up the bindings, setting the layout remarkably good condition. Enclosed punches and matrices of the Brook and design to printing the text, wood in Of gardens by Francis Bacon (1902) type into the English Channel. The engravings and decorated papers for is a personal ‘with best wishes’ card type itself survives at Cambridge the bindings. Esther usually engraved from Orovida Pissarro, the Pissarros’ University Press. the simpler one-colour blocks, the daughter born in 1893. The Eragny Press was the only

University of Melbourne Collections, Issue 2, July 2008 29 Gérard de Nerval, Histoire de la reine du matin & de Soliman prince des génies, Hammersmith: Eragny Press, 1909. Special Collections, Baillieu Library, University of Melbourne. Frontispiece.

private press of this period to use increased cost of production, with music type. Based on 16th century Lucien sometimes miscalculating models, it was used in Some old French production time and expenses. An and English ballads edited by Robert example is Gérard de Nerval’s Histoire Steele (1905) and in Songs by Ben de la reine du matin & de Soliman Jonson (1906). A Greek type was used prince des génies, commissioned in in John Milton’s Areopagitica (1903). 1909 by the Société des Cent The books became widely loved in Bibliophiles. Printed in gold leaf and England and France, two being colours, finely detailed, it took 20 commissioned by French book clubs. months to produce. The final The books were printed in colour, composition includes more than 15 printed with gold leaf and gold illustrations, seven border designs, powder, printed on vellum and with and 11 historiated capitals. The printed music. The influence of leather-bound cover was decorated William Morris is evident in the with gold stamped flowers (see back cover designs and the use of borders. cover). Colour wood engravings are a Although Lucien used hallmark, and are used mainly as the photography to transfer his images to frontispiece in each book. the woodblock, his engravings The first book produced by the continued to develop as they were Eragny Press was The queen of the green ink. The spine is blocked in being carved. Lucien wrote: fishes (1894), an old Valois fairytale, gold.13 with rich illustrations, photo- The next 15 books following The we knew nothing about the art of engraved calligraphy for the text, and queen of the fishes contain little colour, printing and had to learn it as we a joining of letterforms and consisting of complex frontispieces, a went along … Queen of the fishes decoration. As Urbanelli points out, it border and decorative capitals. An was printed two pages at a time; was experimental, yet well received.12 example is the beautiful frontispiece the gold used in the book was real The majority of books were issued of Pierre de Ronsard’s Choix de sonnets gold powder … after many sheets with patterned paper covers, usually (1902), which depicts a girl picking of paper had been spoilt, the botanical in nature, designed by flowers. It was not until 1903, after edition was achieved.14 Pissarro. Emile Verhaeren’s Les petits the death of Camille Pissarro, the vieux (1901) is typical in style. It is closure of Vale Press, and the During the ensuing years Lucien and bound in quarter grey paper with establishment of his own Brook Esther overcame many difficulties, Michallet blue paper boards showing typeface, that colour returned to continually making improvements to a repeat pattern of ‘Winter aconite’ Eragny Press publications. An their press to create perfect register. (ranunculus) printed in two shades of unfortunate downside was the What made Eragny Press

30 University of Melbourne Collections, Issue 2, July 2008 Pierre de Ronsard, Choix de sonnets de P. de Ronsard, London: Eragny Press, 1902. Special Collections, Baillieu Library, University of Melbourne. Frontispiece.

Jacinta Fleming is Head of Library at Maffra Secondary College, where she teaches art, studio arts, visual communication and design and multimedia. She is also undertaking a Master of Education degree (Teacher-Librarianship) via distance education from Charles Sturt University. She wrote this article during her professional placement which she undertook with Baillieu Library Special Collections through the Cultural Collections Student Projects Program.

Notes

1 Marcella D. Genz, A history of the Eragny Press 1894–1914, New Castle, Del.: Oak Knoll Press, 2004, p. 146. 2 Geoffrey S. Tomkinson, A select bibliography of the principal modern presses public and private in Great Britain and Ireland, London: First extraordinary—artistic integrity and Lucien had gone back to painting full Edition Club, 1928. 3 Lora Urbanelli, The wood engravings of Lucien complex production methods— time and World War 1 prevented the Pissarro and a bibliographical list of Eragny unfortunately also resulted in small import of handmade paper from books, Cambridge: Silent Books; Oxford: output and little to no financial France. The Pissarros also lost touch Ashmolean Museum, 1994, p. 45. 4 Urbanelli, The wood engravings, pp. 9–12. profit. Artistic autonomy was placed with their collectors on the continent 5 Urbanelli, The wood engravings, pp. 19–20. above all else. and worldwide. 6 Genz, A history of the Eragny Press, p. 35. The Press’s last book, Whym The Pissarros helped shape, and 7 Urbanelli, The wood engravings, p. 13. 8 Ruth Lightbourne, ‘Vale and Eragny Presses’, Chow, flame of love, was totally made a unique contribution to, the Off the Record: Magazine of the Friends of the undertaken by Esther in 1914. private press revival in England. They Turnbull Library, no. 13, 2006, p. 7. Whym was the chow dog belonging are considered artist-printers.15 9 Urbanelli, The wood engravings, p. 45. 10 Lightbourne, ‘Vale and Eragny Presses’, p. 7. to Katherine Bradley and Edith Lucien was able to bring together the 11 Colin Franklin, The private presses, 2nd edition, Cooper, who commissioned a avant-garde ideas of the Parisian neo- Aldershot: Gower Publishing Co.; Brookfield: remembrance card for their beloved Impressionists with those of the Scolar Press, 1991, p. 98. 12 Urbanelli, The wood engravings, p. 26. Whym when he died. The Pissarros English Arts and Crafts movement. 13 Lightbourne, ‘Vale and Eragny Presses’, p. 7. were subsequently commissioned to Lucien regarded his marriage to 14 Lucien Pissarro, edited with a supplement by print a book of poems devoted to Esther as the ideal union. The Eragny Alan Fern, Notes on the Eragny Press: And a letter to J.B. Manson, Cambridge: privately Whym Chow. Press became an expression of their printed (University Press), 1957, pp. 4–5. Eragny Press closed in 1914. mutual love. 15 Genz, A history of the Eragny Press, p. 62.

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