Folio Archives 129: Perfect and Imperfect Enjoyments by John Wilmot Earl of Rochester 1992 Limited edition
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1wcarter
Perfect and Imperfect Enjoyments by John Wilmot Earl of Rochester 1992 Folio Press Limited edition
The Folio Society has published Rochester’s famous collection of poetry, Perfect and Imperfect Enjoyments, only once, and that was in 1992 as a Folio Press limited edition of 500 copies. 50 copies (numbered 1 to 50 and with extra illustrations loosely inserted) were bound in full vellum, while the remaining 450 were quarter bound in maroon oasis morocco leather with gilt spine titling and Cockerell hand-marbled paper sides. My copy is number 345 of the latter style.
Rochester (1647-1680) was known to be a libertine and sensualist, and his poems were very controversial when first published as they were considered by some to be excessively erotic, or even pornographic. Many poems were satires, lampooned royalty and the church, and promoted fornication. They are relatively mild by today’s standards. There are also some fawning sycophantic poems praising King Charles.
There are 44 poems, most of which take up only one or two pages, but the longest is seven pages. There is an introduction by Christopher Hibbert and eight colour plates by Richard Shirley Smith, who also signed the colophon page in pencil. There are notes, a ten page glossary, a first line index and a limitation colophon page at the back of the book.
The 109 page book has plain green endpapers and is housed in a mid-green Solander box that has a paper label title on the front, but unfortunately there is no title label on the spine, making the publication totally anonymous when shelved. The heavy paper pages are lightly deckled. The Solander box measures 33.3x23.2cm.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
The Folio Society has published Rochester’s famous collection of poetry, Perfect and Imperfect Enjoyments, only once, and that was in 1992 as a Folio Press limited edition of 500 copies. 50 copies (numbered 1 to 50 and with extra illustrations loosely inserted) were bound in full vellum, while the remaining 450 were quarter bound in maroon oasis morocco leather with gilt spine titling and Cockerell hand-marbled paper sides. My copy is number 345 of the latter style.
Rochester (1647-1680) was known to be a libertine and sensualist, and his poems were very controversial when first published as they were considered by some to be excessively erotic, or even pornographic. Many poems were satires, lampooned royalty and the church, and promoted fornication. They are relatively mild by today’s standards. There are also some fawning sycophantic poems praising King Charles.
There are 44 poems, most of which take up only one or two pages, but the longest is seven pages. There is an introduction by Christopher Hibbert and eight colour plates by Richard Shirley Smith, who also signed the colophon page in pencil. There are notes, a ten page glossary, a first line index and a limitation colophon page at the back of the book.
The 109 page book has plain green endpapers and is housed in a mid-green Solander box that has a paper label title on the front, but unfortunately there is no title label on the spine, making the publication totally anonymous when shelved. The heavy paper pages are lightly deckled. The Solander box measures 33.3x23.2cm.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
2folio_books
It's a lovely volume. Although it wasn't promoted as such it was effectively the last of the Folio Fine Press editions and one of the hardest to find. Expect to pay a premium. The full vellum edition (50 copies) is one of the Holy Grails for collectors. I'm not expecting to see it on my shelves in my lifetime.
5RRCBS
Wow! It was vellum and it was like $800USD...I just browsed this morning out of curiosity...wonder if someone here bought it..
ETA: it was vellum
ETA: it was vellum
6Jebebara
I’m lucky enough to own a vellum copy - number 26.
A very fortunate purchase - About 6 years ago I bought a set of Gibbons “Decline & Fall” cheap through a deceased estate in Sydney. When I went to collect (books were their fathers) they had another box of assorted old folios, and the John Wilmot. Despite having a few LE’s I had never seen the book before, however it clearly was a limited edition of some sort - so I took a punt and bought it for $60. Was naturally pleasantly surprised when I got home and done some research.
It truly is a beautiful book - solander box is brown on mine, not the green pictured here.
Thank you so much Warwick for the continued efforts you make to highlight these older books. I do so appreciate it and read them all.
Also helps maintain my love for the products, something I’ve struggled with at times of late given the ludicrous price a lot of new Folios are now in $A, not to mention the farcical freight costs. I’ve been a “member” since 1990, have around 700 Folios, but have purchased none direct for almost 3 years. This despite my book-buying disposable income being higher than ever
A very fortunate purchase - About 6 years ago I bought a set of Gibbons “Decline & Fall” cheap through a deceased estate in Sydney. When I went to collect (books were their fathers) they had another box of assorted old folios, and the John Wilmot. Despite having a few LE’s I had never seen the book before, however it clearly was a limited edition of some sort - so I took a punt and bought it for $60. Was naturally pleasantly surprised when I got home and done some research.
It truly is a beautiful book - solander box is brown on mine, not the green pictured here.
Thank you so much Warwick for the continued efforts you make to highlight these older books. I do so appreciate it and read them all.
Also helps maintain my love for the products, something I’ve struggled with at times of late given the ludicrous price a lot of new Folios are now in $A, not to mention the farcical freight costs. I’ve been a “member” since 1990, have around 700 Folios, but have purchased none direct for almost 3 years. This despite my book-buying disposable income being higher than ever
7laotzu225
I'm fortunate to have a copy in excellent condition of this beautiful book. I found a book binder/restorer just across the Canadian border in White Rock, B.C. and, along with a couple of other things, he made and attached a label to the "spine" of the box- gold on brown.
8mr.philistine
I found this insert in an FPFE book with the following caption printed below the poem:
The same poem is printed on page 70 of the reviewed book and also photographed in the OP. The insert is deckled on the fore edge like the book and is a thick stock with an off-white tinge (sadly removed by the background removing software).
THIS POEM has been printed by the Stamperia Valdonega – using the same
type and paper as in the book itself – as an aperitivo to PERFECT AND
IMPERFECT ENJOYMENTS Poems by John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester,
which will be published by The Folio Society in June 1992.
The same poem is printed on page 70 of the reviewed book and also photographed in the OP. The insert is deckled on the fore edge like the book and is a thick stock with an off-white tinge (sadly removed by the background removing software).
