1laotzu225
By way of background, I came to this quite a while ago getting "Heritage Press" books from Connecticut by mail. Only after some time did I learn about Heritage New York and the LEC. Over the years I've replaced many of the Heritage Club books with LEC versions or an occasional New York Heritage.
I have the Prometheus Bound/Prometheus Unbound combination in a fine New York copy. I've considered the LEC but the fact is I much prefer the Heritage black binding with the interlinked gold flames running down the side to the LEC binding. WildcatJF does a nice job describing it in G.M. Imagery.
The John Fairleigh illustrations are obviously a major draw of this book. I would like to ask the opinion of members of the group, Are the illustrations reproduction or the paper or some other feature of the LEC sufficiently superior to merit acquiring the LEC?
Thanks in advance.
I have the Prometheus Bound/Prometheus Unbound combination in a fine New York copy. I've considered the LEC but the fact is I much prefer the Heritage black binding with the interlinked gold flames running down the side to the LEC binding. WildcatJF does a nice job describing it in G.M. Imagery.
The John Fairleigh illustrations are obviously a major draw of this book. I would like to ask the opinion of members of the group, Are the illustrations reproduction or the paper or some other feature of the LEC sufficiently superior to merit acquiring the LEC?
Thanks in advance.
2Django6924
I long ago parted with my Heritage copy of this book and am not able to make any authoritative statements about the superiority of the LEC version. The reproduction of the illustrations is first rate by the Meriden Gravure Company using a 300 line scan process which even on magnification betrays no hint of photomechanical reproduction. The typography is superb, as one would expect from Enschedé en Zonen and the designer, Hendrik Clewits, longtime assistant to Jan van Krimpen, though those who insist on "bite" letterpress will be disappointed, as it is what I consider a perfect "kiss" impression. The paper, from a Holland mill, is, in a word, luscious. A very thick, smooth paper (well, I couldn't restrain myself to just one word in describing it). As I said, those who admire the Grabhorn Robinson Crusoe, with its thin laid paper and printed with so pronounced a "bite" it deforms the reverse side of the page, will not appreciate this book.
This is not the first time where I believe the HP designers bested the LEC when it comes to the binding: the materials of the LEC binding are superlative, and executed flawlessly, but I've never been a fan of bindings where the top half (ivory) is different from the bottom half (a pale blue-gray). It reminds me of a fashion expert's preference for gentleman's braces over a belt, as a belt "cuts the silhouette in half at the middle." Not sure that's an apt analogy, but I feel that it does seem a less artistic design, even given the concept of the 2 different works between the covers. (The HP designer who did the Dostoevsky Notes From Underground/The Gambler came up with what I consider a brilliant concept by printing the edition as tête-bêche--one of the examples where the HP design trumped the LEC.)
Of course the LEC had the misfortune of the illustrator dying before he could sign the copies. That would be the tipping point for many collectors, especially with as renowned and accomplished an artist as John Farleigh.
Don't know if these ramblings helped you come to a decision.
This is not the first time where I believe the HP designers bested the LEC when it comes to the binding: the materials of the LEC binding are superlative, and executed flawlessly, but I've never been a fan of bindings where the top half (ivory) is different from the bottom half (a pale blue-gray). It reminds me of a fashion expert's preference for gentleman's braces over a belt, as a belt "cuts the silhouette in half at the middle." Not sure that's an apt analogy, but I feel that it does seem a less artistic design, even given the concept of the 2 different works between the covers. (The HP designer who did the Dostoevsky Notes From Underground/The Gambler came up with what I consider a brilliant concept by printing the edition as tête-bêche--one of the examples where the HP design trumped the LEC.)
Of course the LEC had the misfortune of the illustrator dying before he could sign the copies. That would be the tipping point for many collectors, especially with as renowned and accomplished an artist as John Farleigh.
Don't know if these ramblings helped you come to a decision.
3mr.philistine
>1 laotzu225: Don't forget to check out the LEC review on the B&V website here: https://booksandvines.com/2012/06/08/prometheus-bound-by-aeschylus-and-prometheu...
4laotzu225
>2 Django6924: As always, helpful and informative!
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