Folio Society: The Early Years (Part 5 - 1953)

This is part five of my ongoing series showcasing the early years of the Folio Society following its launch in 1947 (the previous retrospectives can be found via the FSD Wiki Page). Having previously covered 1947-1952, we now move on to the Society's 7th year.

1953 saw ten new publications from the Society, plus the 1953 Presentation Volume, "Lancelot and Guinevere".

As a taster of what is to come in following posts, I have shown all 11 of the 1953 publications below. In a series of posts over the next few days I will provide the usual selection of pictures from each of the volumes. I hope you will enjoy what follows, as I really think the Society had started to hit its stride, with some wonderful releases this year.

No 53 – 1953 – Lancelot and Guinevere – Sir Thomas Malory

Let's begin with the 1953 free Presentation Volume for members.

Book Description

Drawings by Lettice Sandford. Medium Octavo. 208 pages including title page spread and twelve illustrations. Plantin (11 point)type and Perpetua type for display. Printed and bound by Mackay. Full silver cloth, lettered and decorated in red. Edited fro Sir Thomas Malory's Morte Darthur.

The illustrations take the form of drawings in the text, each appearing as a head-piece and border decoration at the beginning of a chapter, and a double-page title illustration.

The text is drawn from Eugene Vinaver's text of Malory, with some modernisation of spelling and punctuation.

As with all of the early Presentation Volumes, this publication came without a dust jacket (and the first FS slipcase was still a year away).

Thanks for doing this, M. le Conte. 1953 is the year of my birth. I find I have only six of the eleven. And I am intensely curious to see your pics of the Eastern Love Poems. My copy claims to be from 1953, but it is bound in leather and is in a slipcase, rather than a dust jacket. The slipcase has leather edges, and cloth sides, unusual for early FS. The spine says "Love Poems of the East", but the title page does say Eastern Love Poems. It also has all the edges gilded. Folio 60 doesn't say anything about this version, so I am wondering if I got a specially rebound version.

And I as for my having 6of the books, my copy of Joseph Andrews is a much later reprint, and doesn't look anything like the original.

No 54 – 1953 – Two Tales: The Royal Slave and The Fair Jilt – Aphra Behn

Ah, I love marbled boards, and this is very nice. The first story is, of course,more commonly known as Oroonoko.

Book Description

The illustrations by Iris Francis consist of six full-page wood-engravings, two head-pieces and a title-page border (repeated on the dust jacket). Demy Octavo.156 pages, including illustrations. Poliphilus and Blado type with Goudy Modern and Rondo Bold for display. Quarter black cloth with a strap-work design in gold, and marbled paper sides. Bound by Jarrold, printed by Cambridge University Press. White dust jacket printed in brown and black.

>4 Conte_Mosca: Thanks Michael (again). What a beautiful book: dustjacket design, marbling and illustrations are all charming.

>2 Conte_Mosca:

Interesting that the spine lettering reads top-to-bottom, when resting on the shelf. I understood this to be common among German publications, but not UK or other English-language publications. Is it still standard for FS today (and I've somehow not noticed)?

>6 elenchus:
The older books from FS have their spines printed in reverse compared to how they are now (in the German style is as good an explanation as any). Always drives me crazy when I try to shelf an older book (for example http://pics.cdn.librarything.com/picsizes/7b/14/7b14c04d630e130596f6c51687744434... )with the newer ones...

Someone around here probably knows in which year they switched :)

>7 AnnieMod:
Since I have all the presentation volumes, shelved by year, I can say that the FS switched at least those in 1988. I am not sure about regular issues, but I do have a copy of the 1988 issue of "To the Lighthouse" by Virginia Woolf that is in the current style, and my 1987 copy of "The Odes of Horace" is in the old style. So I guess that 1988 was the year they switched.

>7 AnnieMod: >8 garyjbp:

Thanks for that, and I'm unaccountably disappointed they switched. It drives my OCD side bonkers to see those reversed on the shelf (and it's a strong aspect of my personality), but the anachronist in me appreciates more observing tradition and the contrariness of it all.

I have some books with the title going "the other way", and they tend to be shelved horizontally.

No 55 – 1953 – As You Like It – William Shakespeare

Next up we have one of the most famous and sought after early Folio Society titles. The draw, of course, is Salvador Dali, whose striking st and costume designs were made for Visconti's production in Rome. This one doesn't come up for sale that often, and when it does, expect to have to typically pay £30-£50 for a copy in Very Good condition (although I have seen it change hands for much more than that). The 1959 second impression (in the rather dull grey slipcase rather than the striking dust jacket shown here) is a more common and affordable option, but the first edition is worth holding out for.

Book Description

Introduction by Peter Brook. Glossary by Josephine Lane. Garamond type (12 point). Production by the usual Mackay / Chiswick Press double act at this point in the Society's history, printed in green and black and bound in green in the series binding by Mackay, the lithographs by the Chiswick Press. White dust jacket printed in glorious colour.

>3 garyjbp: "but it is bound in leather and is in a slipcase, rather than a dust jacket. The slipcase has leather edges, and cloth sides, unusual for early FS."

That's very interesting. That sounds like a very desirable copy, and a nice find. I suspect you are right in your guess that this was rebound by an earlier owner (and thus a rare limited edition of one!). I have seen a few early FS titles rebound in leather come up on the secondary market (indeed there is an example on ebay at the moment - a rebound copy of the 1949 The Complete Angler in green quarter morocco and marbled boards, replacing the original full green canvas). I doubt very much it would have been the Society's own work. They didn't start doing "special bindings" until 1960 (and even then, those they did were a commercial failure). As Charles Ede stated (from Folio 21), ""Over the years we had received a number of requests from members for specially bound editions. We therefore planned five such editions for 1960, but orders fell far short of our expectations and the idea was dropped after the first year".

>11 Conte_Mosca:
Good points about the value of this edition. My own experience is both an example of the birth of my FAD, and my intro to ebay. I had just been to England in 1999, and had heard something along the lines of "some people just buy them to cut out the prints and sell them individually". When I came home and started checking out ebay, one came up, and I decided I had to save it from being dismembered. I actually bid $250 for it. But I didn't get it. I think it went for $650! I kept looking though, and finally found a very good copy, with a VG dust jacket, delivered from England to the US, for $50. By the way, it shows the same spine fading that yours does, in spite of their both having their dust jackets.

No 56 – 1953 – Joseph Andrews – Henry Fielding

Book Description

Wood engravings by Derrick Harris. Medium Octavo. 324 pages, including five full-page illustrations and fifteen "vignette" illustrations in the text (plus one on the dust jacket). Plantin type. Printed by R. and R. Clark. Bound by Hunter and Foulis in full white linen with a reverse repeat pattern in brown by Harris, leather spine label. White dust-jacket printed in green and black.

There was a second edition issued in 1967, which was based on this edition, but reset throughout, and with a slip-case instead of dust-jacket. A completely new edition was published in 1995 alongside three other Fielding novels.

>14 Conte_Mosca:
Isn't it lovely? I have precious few early Folio editions and I think only three with dj but this is one of them. Being in the U.S. It is rare to find early Folios but I happened upon this gem in a local bookstore and immediately purchased even though I have the later 4 volume Fielding set from 1995. My dj is in typical used shape but not too unsightly. The book itself is NF underneath. It is a particular favorite of mine.

No 57 – 1953 – Eastern Love Poems – Translated by Powys Mathers

Book Description

Illustrated by Ru van Rossem. Crown octavo. Monotype Bembo type (12 point). Printed by Mackay on very pale green paper (which my photos unfortunately don't pick up well). Bound by Mackay in quarter black leather, with pink cloth boards. White dust jacket printed in green and black. There are 32 drawings in the text, including the frontispiece and title-page vignette.

There is an interesting story behind these so called "translations". In Folio 21, Charles Ede wrote:

"A selection of three volumes, originally published before the war. At the time of our publication we were in touch with the translator's widow, who told us that certain poems listed as being translated from the modern Chinese were, in fact, original works by Mathers, and these were omitted. It now appears that, despite their careful documentation ('from the Japanese of Idzumi-Siki-Bu, 10th century' etc.) the majority of the 'translations' were originals. The quality of the verse is such, however, that we can have no regrets at having perpetuated the fiction of their origin.

I find that to be wonderfully characteristic of "Torquemada" (Powys Mathers' pseodonym as the pioneer of the cryptic crossword, and long time setter of crosswords for The Guardian).

No 58 – 1953 – In The Beginning – Norman Douglas

Here is a great example of a book I would never have discovered without the direction of the Folio Society. I had never heard of Norman Douglas before I came across this little gem.

Book Description

Illustrated by Richard Sharp. Introduction by Constantine FitzGibbon. 216 pages, including eleven full-page illustrations and forty-two head-pieces. Centaur and Arrighi type (12 point). Printed and bound by Butler and Tanner. Full red/brown cloth decorated in a darker brown and gold. White dust jacket printed in green and black.

In Folio 21, Charles Ede added:

"The illustrations combined pen-and-ink line and mechanical tints, used freely as integral elements in the composition".

No 59 – 1953 – Plain or Ringlets– R.S. Surtees

Time to wheel out the annual Surtees offering from the Society. It never ceases to amaze me that up to this point more than 10% of the Society's output was in the form of Surtees novels. Yet today Surtees is largely forgotten, his illustrators (Leech, Cruikshank, "Phiz") far more remembered than he.

Book Description

Colour plates by John Leech. Medium octavo. 464 pages, plus twelve plates (from the original edition of 1859) reproduced by collotype and hand-coloured by pochoir by Maud Johnson. Monotype Imprint type (11 point). Printed by Jarrold, the collotypes by the Chiswick Press. Bound by Jarrold in full red cloth (uniform for the rest of the series). White dust jacket printed in grey and black.

No 60 – 1953 – Eugenie Grandet – Honore de Balzac

This is another favourite of mine. I love the work of Dodie Masterman, but the most striking thing for me is the lovely binding.

Book Description

Soft-ground etchings by Dodie Masterman. Translated by Ellen Marriage. Medium octavo. 224 pages, plus eight plates reproduced by collotype. Garamond type (12 point) with Times New Roman on the dust jacket. Printed by William Cowes, the collotypes by Waterlow. Bound by William Clowes in full dark green ribbed cloth with a design in red by John Westwood. White dust jacket printed in grey and black (with the frontispiece repeated in reverse).

No 61 – 1953 – Louis XIV at Versailles, a Selection from the Memoirs of Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon

Book Description

Translated and edited by Desmond Flower. Etchings by Goor. Medium octavo. 258 pages, plus eight plates reproduced by collotype, and a folding genealogical table. Monotype Fournier (12 point) with June for the title. Printed by the Oxford University Press. Bound by James Burn in full blue cloth with a design in silver by John Westwood. White dust jacket printed in blue and black.

In Folio 21, Charles Ede added:

"There is a historical note on the Chateau de Versailles by Charles Mauricheau-Beaupre. A special library edition was issued without illustrations and in a plain binding of black cloth lettered in silver"

1953 seems to have been an excellent year, even by original Folio standards.

I think I'm usually fairly immune to enablement, but I'm tempted to seek out "In The Beginning". I've enjoyed Norman Douglas's travel writing, but I've never yet sampled his fiction (not even the celebrated "South Wind").

>20 Conte_Mosca:
I am definitely loving your catalogue of the early years of the Folio Society. I am so impressed that you have been able to collect so many. As I mentioned in an earlier post I only have about 3 or 4 editions early enough to still have dust jackets. Two of them are from 1953! In addition to The History of Joseph Andrews, I also picked up this lovely selection of Saint Simon (despite already owning him in both a Heritage Press as well as a Limited Editions Club edition).

>20 Conte_Mosca:

Michael, consider me enabled! Very good timing, given that I shall be visiting Versailles on 20 November, both for the palace and grounds, as well as to attend a performance of Lully's Armide at the Opera Royal!

I agree with others here that the Norman Douglas volume looks very appealing, quite original in both dustjacket design and illustrations. Can any Devotee who's read the book say what they thought of it? Enablement always appreciated!

No 62 – 1953 – Emlyn Williams, Readings from Dickens – Charles Dickens /Emlyn Williams

I love this little book. The question some might ask is why do we need an "anthology" of Dickens? Well, I would answer that we probably don't. But this should not be considered a mere anthology. For those who are familiar with Dickens, they will know that much of his later career (and fortune) focused on tours across Britain and America, reading some of his wonderful set pieces from his novels. Emlyn Williams looked to replicate that nearly a century later in his one-man shows playing Charles Dickens reading extracts from his novels. This collection should be read aloud and with gusto! And if you feel too self-conscious to do that, you can try and replicate the feel of a live Dickens reading by listening to the wonderful Simon Callow in his one-man show, written by Peter Ackroyd, The Mystery of Charles Dickens.

Book Description

Introduction by Bernard Darwin, frontispiece by Barnett Freedman, with two photographs and an engraving, reproduced by collotype. Demy octavo. 184 pages plus four plates. Monotype Baskerville type (11 point) with Chisel for display. Printed by Jarrold, the lithographs by the Curwen Press, the collotypes by the Chiswick Press. Bound by Jarrold in full dark green linen with a vignette in gold on a red ground; endleaves decorated in pink and black with designs by Freedman. White dust-jacket with a design in green and red by Freedman. The plates consist of a two-colour frontispiece by Freedman, photographs of Dickens and of Emlyn Williams as Dickens, and an engraving of "Mr Charles Dickens's Last Reading". Some sets of sheets were sold to Heinemann, who issued them under their own imprint, in a smaller format and with only the frontispiece by way of illustration.

No 63 – 1953 – The Young King and Other Stories – Oscar Wilde

And now we come to the last publication of 1953. This was recently reissued (and is still available) under the title of The Selfish Giant and Other Stories. Admirable as the new edition is, I prefer this older edition.

Book Description

Coloured wood-engravings by John Gaastra. Royal octavo. 160 pages, including title-page spread and twenty-four illustrations in the text. Perpetua type (13 point). Printed by the Shenval Press. Bound by James Burn in quarter red buckram, pale blue paper boards with a repeat pattern in black by Gaastra. Pale blue dust-jacket printed n black with the same pattern used on the boards. There are 24 vignettes in the text, and full-page frontispiece and title-page designs by Gaastra.

I really like the innovative illustrations in some of these early editions. The approach is very different these days of course, but through these early titles you can trace the evolution of book illustration. Charles Ede added, in Folio 21:

"This edition contains the complete fairy stories of Oscar Wilde. By dividing the ink rollers, the three-colour engravings were printed in various combinations of seven colours plus black, and a special imposition was used so that the different colour combinations were spread through the book".

And with that, we come to the close of another year. Look out for Part 6, covering 1954, coming very soon. I hope some people have found this thread (and the series) interesting, and that it inspires some people to go out and find some of these charming early editions.

>24 cronshaw: Well I shall have a go, as I have read it!

If you like classical mythology, then I would highly recommend Norman Douglas's very entertaining novel. Rather than try and sum it up myself, let me share the blurb from the duct jacket:

"This is a tale of the springtime of the world, when gods and goddesses walked among men (sometimes to their undoing) and the last of the satyrs still lingered in remote valleys. A goddess falls in love with a mortal, to the scandal of her devotees, while the heavens rock with the derisive laughter of the Immortals. A little Colocynthian girl, the warrior Queen Syrmira, demons, priests, and courtesans all play their picturesque parts in an amoral Arcadia, almost as real as it is enchanting; the perfect setting for a highyoriginal and entertaining story".

So that is what it is about, but will you like Douglas's writing? Well here is a very small sample, the first two paragraphs of the novel:

"Along that broad and languid stream were few human habitations; only a fisherman's hut here and there on some sandy reach, with a black tub, his boat, drawn up on the shore or tethered to stakes in the grey-green water. At no great distance inland stood a collection of reed-cabins plastered together with dried mud and bitumen: a village.

The rest of the banks, above and below this settled region, were covered with tracts of luscious jungle seldom entered by men. There lived lions and other monsters; a good many folk had been devoured by them. Others, younger and prettier ones, imprudently venturing within, had disappeared in other fashion, had been witched away by some love-sick deity. For those were days when Immortals sought pleasure where they found it - not only in their own Celestial Halls but among the sons and daughters of earth; days when mankind thereabouts walked naked without shame, and the thing called Sin had not yet been invented".

It is true that you can only tell so much from opening lines, but hopefully that will give you a feelfor Douglas's style. For me, a much neglected minor classic which deserves a revival.

>28 Conte_Mosca: Thanks Michael, it sounds as wonderful a text as it is handsome as a volume, and I'm putting it straight on to my wish list!

Adding my thanks Michael, it is lovely to see the earlier publications.

Does anyone know if Conte_Mosca ever continued on with this series? the last year i can find is for 1953.

>33 atrco333:
Unfortunately, he stopped at 1953.