Folio Archives 38: Folio Society editions of Pepys Diaries
Talk Folio Society Devotees
Join LibraryThing to post.
1wcarter
Folio Society editions of Pepys Diaries
The Folio Society has published four different editions of Samuel Pepys diaries over the last 70 years. I own the 1985 and 1996 FS editions, and a variation of the 1982 edition.
1982 The Illustrated Pepys
This is a book that was originally published by Bell & Hyman, and merely placed in a cloth cover by the Folio Society. Many other publishers did the same thing, taking the Bell & Hyman pages but adding their own cover and colophon. I own a copy that has the colophon of the University of california Press. The contents of all these different editions are identical.
This is a relatively thin book that contains only 8% of the entire diary.
There are a total of 240 pages with 16 pages of colour plates. The FS edition was bound in dark green cloth blocked with a gilt design and had a glassine dust-jacket (no slipcase). It is 25.2x19cm in size.
1985 The Shorter Pepys
This thick, heavy single volume edition contains selections from the complete diary chosen by Robert Latham. The more mundane entries have been omitted. It amounts to approximately one third of the entire diary.
There are 25 black and white illustrations, six maps and two genealogical tables.
The xlix+1096 page book is printed on very thin paper, that has a lot of show-through. The 49 preliminary pages consist of a preface, acknowledgements, introduction, chronological summary and list of principal persosns.
It is bound in dark blue buckram blocked with a gilt design.
In its dark red textured slipcase it is 24x16x5.6cm.
1996 Pepys Diary in three volumes
Housed in a beautiful pictorial slipcase showing a contemporary scene of the Thames and London Bridge, this is a superbly presented set.
The written contents are identical to the 1985 Shorter Pepys, but there are 12 colour illustrations in each volume, the endpapers show sample pages of Pepys shorthand written diaries (how anyone interpreted these I have no idea), and the Ibis Wove paper is far heavier than in the earlier volume with no show-through.
The page count is similar to the Shorter Pepys, but distributed between the three volumes. Vol 1 covers 1660-1663 and is xlvii+337 pages, Vol 2 covers 1664-1666 and is vii+372 pages. Vol 3 covers 1667-1669 and is viii+374 pages.
They are bound in dark blue cloth blocked on covers and spines with gilt patterns and logo.
The slipcase is 25.7x16.3x11.7cm.
2003 Limited Edition Diary of Samuel Pepys in eleven volumes
This is the crème de la crème of all the editions ever produced of Pepys diaries. This magnificent edition which is quarter bound in leather with hand marbled boards. It is housed in a wooden box and contains the entire oeuvre of Pepys diaries plus a commentary volume and extensive index. It was limited to 1000 copies and the advertised price was £690. If you have the space and financial resources, this is THE edition to obtain and cherish.
1982 The Illustrated Pepys
Google image
Images from University of California edition that I own, which is identical to FS edition.
.
.
.
1985 and 1996 editions compared
The texts of these two editions are identical.
.
1985 Edition
.
.
.
1996 Pepys Diary in three volumes
Wraparound montage of slipcase
Front endpapers
.
.
.
2003 Limited Edition Diary of Samuel Pepys in eleven volumes
Folio Society promotional picture.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed at : http://www.librarything.com/topic/266300
The Folio Society has published four different editions of Samuel Pepys diaries over the last 70 years. I own the 1985 and 1996 FS editions, and a variation of the 1982 edition.
1982 The Illustrated Pepys
This is a book that was originally published by Bell & Hyman, and merely placed in a cloth cover by the Folio Society. Many other publishers did the same thing, taking the Bell & Hyman pages but adding their own cover and colophon. I own a copy that has the colophon of the University of california Press. The contents of all these different editions are identical.
This is a relatively thin book that contains only 8% of the entire diary.
There are a total of 240 pages with 16 pages of colour plates. The FS edition was bound in dark green cloth blocked with a gilt design and had a glassine dust-jacket (no slipcase). It is 25.2x19cm in size.
1985 The Shorter Pepys
This thick, heavy single volume edition contains selections from the complete diary chosen by Robert Latham. The more mundane entries have been omitted. It amounts to approximately one third of the entire diary.
There are 25 black and white illustrations, six maps and two genealogical tables.
The xlix+1096 page book is printed on very thin paper, that has a lot of show-through. The 49 preliminary pages consist of a preface, acknowledgements, introduction, chronological summary and list of principal persosns.
It is bound in dark blue buckram blocked with a gilt design.
In its dark red textured slipcase it is 24x16x5.6cm.
1996 Pepys Diary in three volumes
Housed in a beautiful pictorial slipcase showing a contemporary scene of the Thames and London Bridge, this is a superbly presented set.
The written contents are identical to the 1985 Shorter Pepys, but there are 12 colour illustrations in each volume, the endpapers show sample pages of Pepys shorthand written diaries (how anyone interpreted these I have no idea), and the Ibis Wove paper is far heavier than in the earlier volume with no show-through.
The page count is similar to the Shorter Pepys, but distributed between the three volumes. Vol 1 covers 1660-1663 and is xlvii+337 pages, Vol 2 covers 1664-1666 and is vii+372 pages. Vol 3 covers 1667-1669 and is viii+374 pages.
They are bound in dark blue cloth blocked on covers and spines with gilt patterns and logo.
The slipcase is 25.7x16.3x11.7cm.
2003 Limited Edition Diary of Samuel Pepys in eleven volumes
This is the crème de la crème of all the editions ever produced of Pepys diaries. This magnificent edition which is quarter bound in leather with hand marbled boards. It is housed in a wooden box and contains the entire oeuvre of Pepys diaries plus a commentary volume and extensive index. It was limited to 1000 copies and the advertised price was £690. If you have the space and financial resources, this is THE edition to obtain and cherish.
1982 The Illustrated Pepys
Google image
Images from University of California edition that I own, which is identical to FS edition.
.
.
.
1985 and 1996 editions compared
The texts of these two editions are identical.
.
1985 Edition
.
.
.
1996 Pepys Diary in three volumes
Wraparound montage of slipcase
Front endpapers
.
.
.
2003 Limited Edition Diary of Samuel Pepys in eleven volumes
Folio Society promotional picture.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed at : http://www.librarything.com/topic/266300
2NLNils
Excellent spread Warwick! I really admire your photographic skill as well, is this a method I can reproduce at home?
3Forthwith
Many Thanks!
Having started as a FS member in the mid 70s, I really enjoy this look back at some of the past hidden treasures produced by the Folio Society. I sometimes pull out an earlier book and marvel at the work. I look back and wish that I could have afforded all twelve of the previously published twelve yearly books. Like many, I suppose, I had trouble keeping it to the required four. I was also receiving the monthly Franklin Mint American Revolution Centennial series at that time.
Having started as a FS member in the mid 70s, I really enjoy this look back at some of the past hidden treasures produced by the Folio Society. I sometimes pull out an earlier book and marvel at the work. I look back and wish that I could have afforded all twelve of the previously published twelve yearly books. Like many, I suppose, I had trouble keeping it to the required four. I was also receiving the monthly Franklin Mint American Revolution Centennial series at that time.
4wcarter
>2 NLNils:
I do nothing special. The photos are taken with an iPhone 8 (earlier ones with an iPhone 6) and then tidied up in Photoshop.
The iPhone 8 has more pixels than my quite good (but ageing) Ricoh camera!
I do nothing special. The photos are taken with an iPhone 8 (earlier ones with an iPhone 6) and then tidied up in Photoshop.
The iPhone 8 has more pixels than my quite good (but ageing) Ricoh camera!
5mboyne
Whilst not an edition of Pepys's Diary, in 1985 The Folio Society published 'The Pepys Diary for 1986' - a blank appointments diary. It was issued in a glassine jacket.
Not listed in Folio 60 (or any of the other bibliographies) and quite rare.
Not listed in Folio 60 (or any of the other bibliographies) and quite rare.
6jsg1976
From the pictures Warwick posted, I can’t tell if there are any annotations to the text, like there are in the Everyman’s Library edition, for example (which uses footnotes on each page). Does anyone know if there are any annotations to the text of the 3 vol FS edition?
7Jayked
>6 jsg1976:
There's an absolute minimum of one-line clarifications of the text.
There's an absolute minimum of one-line clarifications of the text.
8wcarter
A copy of the 3 volume set has just come up on Ebay Australia for A$70 with free postage. Good value. No connections.
I endorse >7 Jayked: comment.
I endorse >7 Jayked: comment.
9folio_books
>2 NLNils: I really admire your photographic skill as well, is this a method I can reproduce at home?
>4 wcarter: I do nothing special. The photos are taken with an iPhone 8
What about the lighting, though, which seems so even? Are they taken with the iPhone's flash? I would love to be able to emulate the quality of your photography.
Edited to add:
>1 wcarter: it is housed in a wooden box and contains the entire oeuvre of Pepys diaries plus a commentary volume and extensive index.
It was also available as a set of individually slipcased volumes. I chose this version because of frequent complaints about the quality of the oak bookcase, many saying it was too small for the books. In any event I prefer slipcases.
>4 wcarter: I do nothing special. The photos are taken with an iPhone 8
What about the lighting, though, which seems so even? Are they taken with the iPhone's flash? I would love to be able to emulate the quality of your photography.
Edited to add:
>1 wcarter: it is housed in a wooden box and contains the entire oeuvre of Pepys diaries plus a commentary volume and extensive index.
It was also available as a set of individually slipcased volumes. I chose this version because of frequent complaints about the quality of the oak bookcase, many saying it was too small for the books. In any event I prefer slipcases.
10wcarter
>9 folio_books:
I use an iPhone 8 and do not use flash at all. The books are photographed on a small white topped table that is placed in an evenly shaded area, away from direct sunlight. Photoshop is used to even out inconsistencies of lighting and shape.
I use an iPhone 8 and do not use flash at all. The books are photographed on a small white topped table that is placed in an evenly shaded area, away from direct sunlight. Photoshop is used to even out inconsistencies of lighting and shape.
11folio_books
>10 wcarter:
Yes, I came to the conclusion that flash didn't help but that still left me with the problems of lighting the books evenly. Part of the difference must be that you live in Australia while I'm in the North East of England, where the sun is a rarer phenomenon. Another part is that I live in a rather cramped house, with little opportunity for moving the camera back and seeing the whole panorama of books, which are in several locations. Another issue is that I never really got to grips with Photoshop. The net result is that photos of my collection are consistently underwhelming. It's frustrating.
Yes, I came to the conclusion that flash didn't help but that still left me with the problems of lighting the books evenly. Part of the difference must be that you live in Australia while I'm in the North East of England, where the sun is a rarer phenomenon. Another part is that I live in a rather cramped house, with little opportunity for moving the camera back and seeing the whole panorama of books, which are in several locations. Another issue is that I never really got to grips with Photoshop. The net result is that photos of my collection are consistently underwhelming. It's frustrating.
12Czernobog
>11 folio_books:
I always have trouble keeping my camera phone straight, resulting in weird angles. A tripod with a real camera should fix this, but alas I don't own either.
I always have trouble keeping my camera phone straight, resulting in weird angles. A tripod with a real camera should fix this, but alas I don't own either.
13Willoyd
>1 wcarter:
Just a small amendment: not all the Pepys LE came with the oak box. I bought one of the later ones (#973), and by then they simply came with each book slipcased. Also, an additional note: the original marbler, Ann Muir, died before marbling all the papers for the covers, so later numbers were done by a different hand.
Just a small amendment: not all the Pepys LE came with the oak box. I bought one of the later ones (#973), and by then they simply came with each book slipcased. Also, an additional note: the original marbler, Ann Muir, died before marbling all the papers for the covers, so later numbers were done by a different hand.
14folio_books
>12 Czernobog: A tripod with a real camera should fix this, but alas I don't own either.
Alas I own both and still can't produce an acceptable result.
Alas I own both and still can't produce an acceptable result.
15hamletscamaro
>9 folio_books:, >13 Willoyd:, The used Pepys LE I recently purchased was #360, which incidentally proves that I will be very well rounded when I complete reading this :). My collection did come with the oak case, which I like quite a bit. I don't find the books to be too tightly packed, and removal and reload is still quite easy. From what I can tell, I think they discontinued the oak case not too much longer after my set was produced, although I don't think we have any firm cutoff date/edition information.
