1wcarter
Lohengrin, Son of Parsifal : A Mystical Tale of the Swan Knight by Constance Maud– TUDOR BLACK PRESS 2022
A PICTORIAL REVIEW
No. 6 of 50 copies
Six wood engravings by Jenny Portlock, who signed the book.
Printed letterpress on Zerkall mould-made paper using an Albion Press.
Signed by printer Hugh Macfarlane.
Ragged fore and lower edges to paper.
Plain white endpapers.
Quarter bound in blue leather with printed marbled covers.
Gold blocked spine title.
No slipcase.
40 pages
27.6x20.1cm.
£195
Constance Maud was a suffragette and this story is taken from her Wagner’s Heroes.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the this series can be viewed here.
A PICTORIAL REVIEW
No. 6 of 50 copies
Six wood engravings by Jenny Portlock, who signed the book.
Printed letterpress on Zerkall mould-made paper using an Albion Press.
Signed by printer Hugh Macfarlane.
Ragged fore and lower edges to paper.
Plain white endpapers.
Quarter bound in blue leather with printed marbled covers.
Gold blocked spine title.
No slipcase.
40 pages
27.6x20.1cm.
£195
Constance Maud was a suffragette and this story is taken from her Wagner’s Heroes.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the this series can be viewed here.
2dlphcoracl
>1 wcarter:
Similar to James Freemantle's rapid trajectory, Hugh Macfarlane and his Tudor Black Press have risen to the top of the heap (my heap, anyway) and reached the point where I will purchase anything from his press that I find remotely interesting. Both do their printing with a 19th century Albion handpress resulting in beautifully printed editions. Macfarlane's book design and his choices of literary subject matter have also been on the mark. His special editions are truly special and not to be missed if you are due for a splurge and wish to indulge yourself.
https://www.librarything.com/topic/347482#n8214503 - see post no. 287 for photos of the Lohengrin special edition.
Similar to James Freemantle's rapid trajectory, Hugh Macfarlane and his Tudor Black Press have risen to the top of the heap (my heap, anyway) and reached the point where I will purchase anything from his press that I find remotely interesting. Both do their printing with a 19th century Albion handpress resulting in beautifully printed editions. Macfarlane's book design and his choices of literary subject matter have also been on the mark. His special editions are truly special and not to be missed if you are due for a splurge and wish to indulge yourself.
https://www.librarything.com/topic/347482#n8214503 - see post no. 287 for photos of the Lohengrin special edition.
3edkennedy
>2 dlphcoracl: The press seems to be improving, but I think a comparison to St. James Park Press is still a way off. It looks very nice, and a good deal at the price, but it seems a bit rudimentary compared to the masterpieces I see from many others. I can spot a few errors from the photos, like the hanging lines and the fact the leather has not been adequately thinned.
4rbmackeen
A beautiful book, and a fine companion to Doctor Faustus. I am very much looking forward to Arden of Feversham.
5grifgon
>2 dlphcoracl: I've been collecting Hugh's work since 2010. Finally I've got the scoop on you, Oracle.
>3 edkennedy: The comparison makes sense in that these two gents are among the (extremely) few using hand-set type and hand presses. In other words, there isn't much technical difference between how the Gutenberg Bible and the Tudor Black Lohengrin were produced. That's pretty cool. Even the hanging line you point out (these are called "orphans") is a result of the craft method. With hand-set type it is a lot more difficult to avoid these. Can they be avoided? Sure. But to me little things like this nod to the wonderful craft methods employed in the work.
A hand-set hand-pressed book of significant length for only £195? And it hasn't sold out?? This is a failure of capitalism.
>3 edkennedy: The comparison makes sense in that these two gents are among the (extremely) few using hand-set type and hand presses. In other words, there isn't much technical difference between how the Gutenberg Bible and the Tudor Black Lohengrin were produced. That's pretty cool. Even the hanging line you point out (these are called "orphans") is a result of the craft method. With hand-set type it is a lot more difficult to avoid these. Can they be avoided? Sure. But to me little things like this nod to the wonderful craft methods employed in the work.
A hand-set hand-pressed book of significant length for only £195? And it hasn't sold out?? This is a failure of capitalism.
6wcarter
The books from this press can be seen at -
https://www.tudorblackpress.co.uk/
https://www.tudorblackpress.co.uk/
7edkennedy
>5 grifgon: I don't disagree, I only meant that the comparison of quality between Tudor Black Press and St. James Park Press is premature.
8DMulvee
>3 edkennedy: I disagree with your assessment. I received the special version of Lohengrin and think it is spectacular. In particular the leather work is wonderful and noteworthy. I only have one work from St James Park Press but don’t see a gulf in quality?
9ChestnutPress
I agree with this. General design, typography and illustration are not in the same league. >3 edkennedy:
10NathanOv
>8 DMulvee: I wouldn't call it a "quality gulf," but like >9 ChestnutPress: said, they do seem to be playing in different leagues.
That's less a mark that one press is "better" than the other, and more that they're taking different approaches despite the similarities in their printing and some parallel text choices.
That's less a mark that one press is "better" than the other, and more that they're taking different approaches despite the similarities in their printing and some parallel text choices.
