1edgeworn
I have benefited greatly from members of this board through being introduced to good quality printing which I might not otherwise have discovered. Can I try to return the favour (admittedly in a very modest way)?
I have recently come across the Dutch printer Hans van Eijk at the Bonnefant press (In de Bonnefant - https://drukwerkindemarge.org/drukker/in-de-bonnefant/ ) and the series of pamphlets of poetry he has recently printed using a selection of types designed by Rudolf Koch. These are sewn pamphlets in card covers with paper jackets, printed on nice quality vintage papers, produced in small editions, and sold for fairly modest sums.
For possible interest I attach below a few photos of the pamphlets we have.
Timor Mortis (three anonymous English poems from the fifteenth century, each with a variation on the chorus ‘Timor mortis conturbat me’ (the Fear of Death disturbs me) uses the Wallau typeface and is printed in black and green on soft green handmade paper from 1986 by J. Barcham Green.
The Crow sat on the Willow (3 poems by John Clare) are printed using Claudius, a design by Rudolf Koch from the years 1931-34, and printed on a warm off-white handmade Chilham paper from 1977 by J Barcham Green in black, mauve, emerald green and purple gray.
De Quinque Sensus (The Five Senses) is a moralistic poem written in the C15th by John Audelay and printed using what the printer calls ‘the beautiful and illegible Wilhelm-Klingspor font, with the entire arsenal of ligatures’ and is printed in black and carmine on white handmade paper by J Barcham Green from 1985.
I like these pamphlets. I will admit that C15th poems on the subject of the fear of death may not be everyone’s bedtime reading of choice, and I certainly would not like to read War and Peace printed with any of these typefaces, but these fonts are very attractive to my eyes and, used for short poems as here, they can be enjoyed without causing a severe headache.
I have recently come across the Dutch printer Hans van Eijk at the Bonnefant press (In de Bonnefant - https://drukwerkindemarge.org/drukker/in-de-bonnefant/ ) and the series of pamphlets of poetry he has recently printed using a selection of types designed by Rudolf Koch. These are sewn pamphlets in card covers with paper jackets, printed on nice quality vintage papers, produced in small editions, and sold for fairly modest sums.
For possible interest I attach below a few photos of the pamphlets we have.
I like these pamphlets. I will admit that C15th poems on the subject of the fear of death may not be everyone’s bedtime reading of choice, and I certainly would not like to read War and Peace printed with any of these typefaces, but these fonts are very attractive to my eyes and, used for short poems as here, they can be enjoyed without causing a severe headache.
2elenchus
The images make these pamphlets out to be quite attractive.
Your point about the typefaces being suitable for shorter works is a good one -- it's unlikely I would have thought of it, just looking at them, but I have no doubt I would have felt the eyestrain if I sat down to read more than 10-15 pages at a time.
Your point about the typefaces being suitable for shorter works is a good one -- it's unlikely I would have thought of it, just looking at them, but I have no doubt I would have felt the eyestrain if I sat down to read more than 10-15 pages at a time.
3edgeworn
>2 elenchus: They are attractive in my eyes.
It may be that if you notice the font more than the words this is a failure. However, I think that some of the crafting of the letters by Rudolph Koch is most attractive with something of the appearance of wide-nib calligraphy.
It may be that if you notice the font more than the words this is a failure. However, I think that some of the crafting of the letters by Rudolph Koch is most attractive with something of the appearance of wide-nib calligraphy.
4Constantinopolitan
>1 edgeworn: Thanks for the interesting post. I know of Hans van Eijk because many of his productions are illustrated by Rigby Graham (of whose works I am a collector) and he is the author of the invaluable bibliography: Rigby Graham in Print. I also have a number of Anthony Baker's Gruffyground Press publications. I was pleased to find that Hans van Eijk had published a book about Anthony Baker's many attempts to get Shakespeare's The Phoenix and the Turtle printed in a sixteenth century type. This led to the publication of Shakespeare and Civilité, of which I only have the prospectus, but hope to acquire the book soon.
Prospectus for Shakespeare and Civilité 1
Prospectus for Shakespeare and Civilité 2
Prospectus for Shakespeare and Civilité 3
Finally it was printed in Granjon Lettre Françoise Civilité on Frankfurt Cream paper by the Bieler Press of Marina del Rey, California.
Prospectus for Shakespeare and Civilité 1
Prospectus for Shakespeare and Civilité 2
Prospectus for Shakespeare and Civilité 3
Finally it was printed in Granjon Lettre Françoise Civilité on Frankfurt Cream paper by the Bieler Press of Marina del Rey, California.
5edgeworn
>4 Constantinopolitan: Thank you for this interesting information. I wonder whether Hans van Eijk still sports those splendid whiskers?
As you may have noticed, there is a frontispiece by Rigby Graham of John Clare's monument (taken from a drawing he made in 1959 for The Orpheus Press) in the pamphlet of Clare's poems. Picture of this below for your interest.
As you may have noticed, there is a frontispiece by Rigby Graham of John Clare's monument (taken from a drawing he made in 1959 for The Orpheus Press) in the pamphlet of Clare's poems. Picture of this below for your interest.
6edgeworn
I was pleased recently to receive two further pamphlets printed by Hans van Eijk at his Bonnefant Press (In de Bonnefant), both using typefaces designed by Rudolf Koch.
Some pictures here of one of them - The Flying Fish by John Gray. The (partial) poem is printed on an extraordinary deep orange and rough-textured hand-made paper made by Sheepstor (long out of business, I believe). The typeface used is Rudolf Koch’s Neuland which was designed by Koch in 1923 and memorably used by the Curwen Press/Nonesuch in 1924 for their version of Genesis with the powerful wood engravings by Paul Nash.
The strong typeface and the 'rustic' paper are a successful match to my eyes.
This is my first encounter with Sheepstor papers, which it turns out were made not far from where I live. A nice watermark, as you see! Hans tells me that they are difficult papers to work with.
Some pictures here of one of them - The Flying Fish by John Gray. The (partial) poem is printed on an extraordinary deep orange and rough-textured hand-made paper made by Sheepstor (long out of business, I believe). The typeface used is Rudolf Koch’s Neuland which was designed by Koch in 1923 and memorably used by the Curwen Press/Nonesuch in 1924 for their version of Genesis with the powerful wood engravings by Paul Nash.
The strong typeface and the 'rustic' paper are a successful match to my eyes.
This is my first encounter with Sheepstor papers, which it turns out were made not far from where I live. A nice watermark, as you see! Hans tells me that they are difficult papers to work with.
