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IMaG eand worD the Julian Francis collection oF Prints and illustrated Books Mo nnow Valley arts IMaGe and worD the Julian Francis collection oF Prints and illustrated Books Introduction by Simon Brett Foreword by Professor Ian Rogerson Catalogue by Julian Francis Catalogue prepared for a touring exhibition by Mo nnow Valley arts Middle Hunt House, Walterstone, Hereford HR2 0DY Telephone 01873 860529 Email: [email protected] Registered charity no. 1123483 www.monnowvalleyarts.org Second edition 2013 acknoWledGeMents Over the last 30 years, Julian Francis has amassed a highly significant collection of prints and illustrated books covering the 20th and 21st centuries. As Julian started to collect prints, mainly engravings in wood and copper, and lithographs, he became aware that many of these prints had been made for the specific purpose of illustrating books. This led him to research the artists and the publishers who used the services of artists to enhance the visual appeal of their publications. From the late 19th century wood engraved illustration had been set with cold type and printed on small presses to produce lavishly illustrated books in limited editions. With the development of printing techniques, and in particular the commercialisation of lithography, books could be printed in larger quantities with fine illustrations to reach a mass market. At our suggestion and with the full and enthusiastic co-operation of Julian Francis, we have selected 50 books and 50 prints that show the symbiotic relationship between ILLUSTRATIONS the artist printmaker and the publisher. Inside front cover: Gertrude All measurements are height before width. Hermes, The Prawn (1950). Cat. 21 We are most grateful to Professor Ian Rogerson for providing a foreword to the The print measurements are of the image size. Title page: Julian Francis with catalogue. Professor Rogerson has written extensively on illustration and typography Unless otherwise stated, all the prints in the books Autumn Fruits by Gertrude Hermes and was previously Head Librarian at Manchester Metropolitan University and a are originals printed from the block, plate or stone. This page: Clare Leighton, Lopping Fellow at the John Rylands Institute, University of Manchester. We are most grateful Design by Helen Swansbourne, London SW6 (1932). Cat. 25 Email: [email protected] also to Simon Brett for permission to use the article he has written for Printmaking Opposite page: Agnes Miller Today on the Julian Francis Collection. Simon Brett is a well known engraver, writer Photography by Hanneke van der Werf, Monnow Parker, Geese (1920). Cat. 32 and past chairman of the Society of Wood Engravers. Valley Arts Inside back cover: Canals, Barges and People (Art and Technics, Copyright Monnow Valley Arts 1950) by John O’Connor. Cat. 36 Rupert Otten Published in an edition of 500 copies Printed by ABC Print, Hereford Back cover: Eric Ravilious, Ward Monnow Valley Arts ISBN 978-0-9559575-7-4 Room 1 (1941). Cat. 41 contents 4 Foreword by Professor Ian Rogerson 7 Introduction: Julian Francis – Portrait of a Collector by Simon Brett 12 Catalogue: IMaG e and worD by Julian Francis 62 Appendix I: Sources, further reading and press bibliographies by Julian Francis 64 Appendix II: Notes on private presses by Rupert Otten ForeWord: the Julian Francis collection This exhibition of books and prints from the Julian Francis has acknowledged that difference with Although occasional outstanding books appeared Francis Collection spans the eight decades of the examples such as The Fables of Esope, published by from Gregynog up to the outbreak of war, its finest twentieth century following the end of the First the The Gregynog Press in 1931. Designed by period was from 1930 to 1933, when the McCances World War, with emphasis on the inter-war years. William McCance and illustrated with spectacular and Hughes-Stantons enjoyed a residency at It is a commonly held belief that the use of wood engravings by his wife, Agnes Miller Parker, Gregynog, enlivened by stormy relationships with creative printmaking in book illustration has been the book was printed to the highest standards by the Calvinistic proprietors, who took particular almost exclusively restricted to private press books Herbert Hodgson. exception to the engravings of delectable ladies and this collection does much to challenge that The Press, established in 1923 by the wealthy which came from Hughes-Stanton’s burin. myth. Commercial publishers, ranging from large sisters Gwen and Margaret Davies, was probably a No collection of private press books would be houses such as Cassell and Heinemann, to small rare example of a printing and publishing complete without examples from The Golden operations such as Paul Elek and Art and Technics, enterprise where profit played no part. The Cockerel Press, also established in 1923. This were also adventurous enough to employ artists Revelation of Saint John the Divine , published by jobbing printing shop in Waltham St. Lawrence, working in media ranging from aquatint to Gregynog in 1933, was an outstanding example of from its earliest years, printed small editions with wood engraving. modernism in book design and illustration, with wood engraved illustrations and the highly Although all publishers depend upon successful magnificent wood engravings by Blair Hughes- original wood engravings of David Jones can be sales in order to finance new projects, the Stanton. Curiously, the Davies sisters, advised by seen in the two-volume edition of Gulliver’s arguments about what defines a private press seem the influential politician Thomas Jones, did not Travels , 1925. The press next passed into the hands superfluous, save for the notion that the making of make use of the splendid wood engraving of of Robert Gibbings, who published many of the a fine book is more important than profit. Julian Gertrude Hermes, Hughes-Stanton’s wife. finest books of the press, illustrated, among 4 engravings and copper engravings. An acknow - In the inter-war years, there were a few ledgement of the contribution of Continental commercial publishers whose commitment to the publishing is shown with the Eric Gill illustrated making of fine books led to a comparatively short Canticum Canticorum from the Cranach Press of existence. Certain examples from these publishers Count Harry Kessler in 1931. could frequently outshine books from the Julian Francis’s deep personal interest in the recognised private presses. Julian Francis has work of the little-known wood engraver Tom acknowledged their important contribution made Chadwick is demonstrated with the Derby Day to twentieth-century book production by print of 1933 and a book of 1936 from the Samson including The Pilgrim’s Progress, with wood Press . Chadwick was trained by Iain Macnab at the engravings by Gertrude Hermes and Blair Grosvenor School of Modern Art, the importance Hughes-Stanton, from the Cresset Press run by of which is becoming increasingly recognised . Dennis Cohen between 1927 and 1931. Julian Francis’s monograph on Chadwick is due to In the late 1920s, the small publishing house of be published this year by The Fleece Press. Leon Frederick Etchells and Hugh Macdonald issued Underwood was another wood engraver who ran many fine titles in their Haslewood Books series, his own art school. His illustrations to Animalia, prominent among which were John Nash’s fine published by the small firm of Payson & Clarke in wood engravings in Poisonous Plants, 1927, and Genesis (The Nonesuch Press, 1924), 27.6 × 19.6 cm, 1926, aroused considerable interest. Also included Robinson Crusoe, 1929, with eight hand-coloured with wood engravings by Paul Nash. Numbered in the collection is work from Nora Unwin, who pochoir plates by the American artist, Ted 89/375. Cat. no. 35 trained with Underwood. McKnight Kauffer. Francis Meynell’s commitment Julian Francis’s interest in fine wood engraving to the highest standards of book production was reaches to the present day, with examples from demonstrated by his long-running Nonesuch others, by Eric Gill, John Buckland Wright and existing private presses, such as The Florin Press of Press, which commenced publishing in 1923, and Gibbings himself. Christopher Sandford steered Graham Williams, The Whittington Press of John quickly made its mark with Paul Nash’s the press through its final years, producing many Randle, The Old Stile Press of the McDowalls, and remarkably innovative wood engravings to Genesis. outstanding titles illustrated with wood The Fleece Press of Simon Lawrence. Among Meynell’s finest books was the two- 5 volume, Gilbert White’s Natural History of illustration. The book is a model of complete book twentieth-century creative book illustration, Selborne. Eric Ravilious’s fine wood engravings design with Freedman’s lithographs printed in which has given added value to the text. These have ensured the constantly increasing popularity colour on bookjacket, binding cloth, endpapers open pages and chosen prints speak of the of this book. and plates. His black and white drawings were pleasure aroused where image complements Towards the end of the Second World War, deliberately drawn to simulate lithographs, but word. Frederick Muller began publication of a series of printed as text illustrations from line blocks There have been many collections made of modest poetry collections, carefully illustrated in simultaneously with the text. Freedman was one of illustrated books and there have always been colour by artists including Robert Colquhoun and a select band of British artists who illustrated for collectors of prints but the Julian Francis John Craxton. Largely ignored by the general George Macy’s Limited Editions Club of New collection is one of only a few where the image public, these volumes have been quietly collected York, a select book club which specialised in and the word have been fully integrated. He has by those interested in modern romantic book illustration. Anna Karenina, published in 1951, surely created one of the most significant illustration, pleased by evidence of a revival of was one of of the finest books published by Macy.