Golden Cockerel Christmas Cards

This was originally posted on 23rd December 2024 at 5:39am. It has been edited on 6th January 2025 at 13:42 now that the sources of all but one of the engravings have been identified - my thanks to ubiquitousuk and mboyne for their help - and edited once more on 3rd June 2025 at 18:07 now that the last engraving has been identified.

When Christopher Sandford's brother Anthony replaced Francis Newbery as a partner in the Golden Cockerel Press he embarked on a number of schemes to increase the turnover of the press. One of these was the production of more unlimited (cheap) editions discussed in https://www.librarything.com/topic/326292. Another was the production of Christmas Cards, using the large stock of wood-engraved blocks owned by the Press.

The obvious choice for a Christmas Card illustrator for the GCP would perhaps be Eric Gill but Gibbings had sold all Gill's blocks back to Gill for £200 in the winter of 1932/1933, so Anthony Sandford made a not notably Christmassy selection of mostly Gibbings engravings.

24 of the 42 cards are illustrated by Robert Gibbings, and the notation "Empson p126" in what follows means that the illustration can be found on page 126 of Patience Empson's 1959 The Wood Engravings of Robert Gibbings. Similarly "Balston p65" means that the illustration can be found on page 65 of Thomas Balston's 1949 The Wood Engravings of Robert Gibbings.

The first set of cards was issued in 1937 and promoted in a flyer CHRISTMAS CARDS A SELECTION FROM THE GOLDEN COCKEREL SERIES inserted in the 1937 GCP Autumn List.

David Chambers did not give this flyer a number in Cock-a-Hoop, but it is number 230 in Empson & Harris. Empson & Harris are only interested in Gibbings, and state that 8 of the designs are by Gibbings. The other two are clearly by Agnes Miller Parker.

1937/Cats: Agnes Miller Parker from Daisy Matthews and Three Other Tales p55
1937/Crane: Robert Gibbings from Initiation (Empson p109)
1937/Palms: Robert Gibbings from The Voyage of the Bounty's Launch (Empson p150, Balston p72)
1937/Village: Agnes Miller Parker from The House with the Apricot and Two Other Tales p1
1937/Gull: Robert Gibbings from Glory of Life frontispiece (Empson p126, Balston p65)
1937/Ship: Robert Gibbings from The Journal of James Morrison (Empson p158, Chanticleer p44)

1937/Squirrel: Robert Gibbings from The Hundredth Story p1 (not in Empson)
1937/Shepherd: Robert Gibbings from Songs and Poems of Henry Carey (Empson p35)
1937/Fox: Robert Gibbings from Lord Adrian p45 (Empson p122)
1937/Frog: Robert Gibbings from Count Stefan p13 and dust-jacket (Empson p63)

The second set of cards was issued in Autumn 1938 and promoted in a flyer CHRISTMAS CARDS - A Selection from THE GOLDEN COCKEREL SERIES



Empson & Harris number this 239 and state that 7 of the designs are by Robert Gibbings.

1938/A Robert Gibbings from The Voyage of the Bounty's Launch (Empson p146)
1938/B Robert Gibbings from Crotty Shinkwin and The Beauty Spot p48 (Empson p112)
1938/C John O'Connor from Here's Flowers
1938/D David Jones from The Book of Jonah (Chanticleer p25)
1938/E Robert Gibbings from Glory of Life p25 (Empson p136)
1938/F Eric Ravilious from Twelfth Night
1938/G John O'Connor from Here's Flowers
1938/H Robert Gibbings from Glory of Life p29 (Empson p135, Balston p68)

1938/I Robert Gibbings from The Hundredth Story p40 (Empson p80)
1938/J David Jones from Pompey The Little (Chanticleer p26)
1938/K Elisabeth Geddes from Animal Antics
1938/L Robert Gibbings from Lord Adrian p23 (Empson p123)
1938/M Elisabeth Geddes from Animal Antics
1938/N Elisabeth Geddes from Animal Antics
1938/O David Jones from The Book of Jonah
1938/P Elisabeth Geddes from Animal Antics

In fact only 6 of the designs are by Gibbings - I wonder if Empson & Harris mistook 1938/K for a Gibbings.

The 1938 cards are also described on the back cover of the THE GOLDEN COCKEREL CATALOGUE 1938



The third and last set of cards was issued in 1939 and promoted in a flyer Some of the GOLDEN COCKEREL CHRISTMAS CARDS



Empson & Harris number this 249 and state that 10 of the designs are by Gibbings. The back cover of AUTUMN BOOKS FROM THE WORKSHOP OF THE GOLDEN COCKEREL PRESS says the cards are "illustrated by Robert Gibbings, David Jones, John Nash, John Buckland Wright, and other leading artists."

1939/A Robert Gibbings from Crotty Shinkwin and The Beauty Spot p1 (Empson p111, Balston p57)
1939/B Robert Gibbings from The Journal of James Morrison (Empson p158)
1939/C Robert Gibbings from Red Wise (Empson p51)
1939/D David Jones from Pompey The Little
1939/E John Buckland Wright from Love Night
1939/F John Nash from Flowers & Faces
1939/G Robert Gibbings from Glory of Life p14 (Empson p131)
1939/H Robert Gibbings from Lord Adrian p28 (Empson p122, Balston p49)
1939/I Robert Gibbings from Lord Adrian p45 (Empson p122)(same as 1937/Fox)
1939/J Lynton Lamb from The Apple Trees p19
1939/K Robert Gibbings from The Hundredth Story p11 (Empson p80)
1939/L Robert Gibbings from Miscellaneous Poems of Jonathan Swift (Empson p65, Balston p52)
1939/M Robert Gibbings from Miscellaneous Poems of Jonathan Swift (Empson p65, Balston p52)
1939/N Robert Gibbings from Glory of Life p33 (Empson p133)
1939/O John Nash from When Thou Wast Naked p18 (Chanticleer p35)
1939/Q Osbert Lancaster from Epicure's Anthology

Owen Rutter wanted to produce more Christmas cards in 1940 (using blocks from John Fryer and other books) but Christopher Sandford was not in favour. (Cave & Manson p158.)

It would be interesting to know what the "greetings and verses" inside the cards are. I have managed to track down one card in the V&A print room, but have not yet had time to go to London to see it.

Thank you for sharing. An interesting read and very insightful exploration

>1 tim_rylance: thanks for the post.

K is definitely Gibbings, it's from The Hundredth Story of A E Coppard.

Great post! Thanks for illuminating an overlooked aspect of fine press operations. Very nice.

>3 ubiquitousuk: Yes, 1939/K is from The Hundredth Story of A. E. Coppard, as is 1938/I.

The fox (1937/Fox and 1939/I) and the badgers (1938/L) are from Lord Adrian.

1937/Ship is from The Journal of James Morrison and is shown on p44 of Chanticleer.

1939/C is from Red Wise and is shown on p86 of The Life and Work of Robert Gibbings.

1939/Q is definitely Osbert Lancaster from Epicure's Anthology.

This leaves six Gibbings engravings to identify: 1937/Palms, 1937/Squirrel, 1937/Shepherd, 1938/A, 1938/B, 1939/B. At the moment I only have Thomas Balston's 1949 The Wood-Engravings of Robert Gibbings ("with over 100 illustrations.") I have ordered a copy of Patience Empson's 1959 The Wood Engravings of Robert Gibbings, With Some Recollections by the Artist which should help.

I remain baffled by this one (1939/J)

>5 tim_rylance: the Gibbings palms are from The Voyage of the Bounty's Launch, as can be seen in the photographs here: https://www.besleysbooks.com/product/sku/17324

The 1937 squirrel is another from The Hundredth Story of A. E. Coppard, page 1.

1939/B is from The Journal of Janes Morrison Boatswain's Mate of The Bounty, and can be seen here: https://www.forumauctions.co.uk/57048/Golden-Cockerel-Press.-Morrison-James-The-...

1938/B matches an image from Crotty Shinkwin, which can be seen here: https://www.mullenbooks.com/pages/books/135673/with-robert-gibbings/crotty-shink...

I will edit this post if I come up with any others. Yes, the hansom cab is a real puzzle—I don't even recognize the style.

>6 ubiquitousuk:

I think that 1937 Shepherd is from Carey’s Songs and Poems and 1938/A from The Voyage of the Bounty’s Launch

>6 ubiquitousuk: >7 mboyne: Thank you - I should have spotted some of those, as I have all but one of the Guinea Series books.

I have updated the original post with all the new information.

Patience Empson's The Wood Engravings of Robert Gibbings is useful. It shows 1000 of Gibbings's 1500-or-so engravings so it is not comprehensive like Christopher Skelton's The Engravings of Eric Gill or Jeremy Greenwood's Ravilious Engravings but it's the best we have and as-new copies can be found for as little as £45.

The number of engravings reproduced from each of the 61 books Gibbings illustrated with wood-engravings is as follows:

1. 1921 Twelve Wood Engravings (Gibbings) 12 of 12
2. 1923 Erewhon (Cape) 10 of 38
3. 1924 The Lives of Gallant Ladies (GCP) 4 of 10
4. 1924 Songs and Poems of Henry Carey (GCP) 8 of 24
5. 1924 Where I Lived and What I Lived For (GCP) 2 of 6
6. 1924 Miscellaneous Writings of Henry the Eighth (GCP) 3 of 4
7. 1925 Samson and Delilah (GCP) 6 of 7
8. 1926 Red Wise (GCP) 8 of 8
9. 1926 Fallodon Papers (Constable) 6 of 15
10. 1926 Pelagea and Other Poems (GCP) 6 of 6
11. 1927 The Charm of Birds (Hodder) 13 of 21
12. 1927 The True Historie of Lucian the Samosatenian (GCP) 27 of 55
13. 1928 Count Stefan (GCP) 4 of 4
14. 1928 Miscellaneous Poems of Jonathan Swift (GCP) 9 of 12
15. 1928 A Mirror for Witches (Houghton Mifflin) 5 of 12
16. 1928 Lamia and Other Poems (GCP) 15 of 18
17. 1929 A Circle of the Seasons (GCP) 4 of 4
18. 1930 The Man from Kilsheelan (William Jackson) 1 of 1
19. 1930 The Seventh Man (GCP) 16 of 16
20. 1931 The Hundredth Story (GCP) 3 of 4
21. 1931 Salambo (GCP) 10 of 18
22. 1932 Initiation (GCP) 8 of 11
23. 1932 Crotty Shinkwin and The Beauty Spot (GCP) 7 of 8
24. 1932 XIV Engravings on Wood (Orient Line) 15 of 16
25. 1932 Iorana (Houghton Mifflin) 18 of 41
26. 1932 Rummy (GCP) 7 of 16
27. 1933 Lord Adrian (GCP) 7 of 7
28. 1933 The Roving Angler (Dent) 3 of 10
29. 1934 Glory of Life (GCP) 15 of 15
30. 1934 The Voyage of the Bounty's Launch (GCP) 10 of 12
31. 1934 Beasts and Saints (Constable) 25 of 31
32. 1934 The Journal of James Morrison (GCP) 4 of 5
33. 1935 Mr Glasspoole and the Chinese Pirates (GCP) 4 of 4
34. 1935 The Wreck of the Whale-Ship Essex (GCP) 10 of 16
35. 1935 A True Tale of Love in Tonga (Faber) 12 of 23
36. 1936 A Bird Diary (Dent) 8 of 15
37. 1936 The Insect Man (Heffer) 3 of 18
38. 1936 Coconut Island (Faber) 30 of 72
39. 1936 Le Morte d'Arthur (LEC) 38 of 63
40. 1936 The Tale of The Golden Cockerel (GCP) 4 of 4
41. 1937 The Twelve Months (Bodley Head) 18 of 28
42. 1937 A Book of Uncommon Prayer (Methuen) 9 of 12
43. 1937 John Graham, Convict (Faber) 31 of 4
44. 1938 Typee (Penguin) 6 of 17
45. 1938 Marvels of the Insect World (Appleton-Century) 6 of 18
46. 1938 Blue Angels and Whales (Penguin) 4 of 33
47. 1938 The Microbe Man (Heffer) 3 of 23
48. 1939 The Radium Woman (Heinemann) 8 of 18
49. 1939 Othello (LEC) 6 of 6
50. 1940 The Art of Living (EUP) 4 of 12
51. 1940 Sweet Thames Run Softly (Dent) 38 of 50
52. 1942 Coming Down the Wye (Dent) 38 of 59
53. 1945 Lovely is the Lee (Dent) 50 of 64
54. 1948 Over the Reefs (Dent) 53 of 84
55. 1951 Sweet Cork of Thee (Dent) 52 of 67
56. 1953 The Story of Bovril (Bovril Ltd) 3 of 19
57. 1953 Coming Down the Seine (Dent) 47 of 57
58. 1955 The Discovery of Tahiti (Folio Society) 7 of 11
59. 1955 Trumpets from Montparnasse (Dent) 36 of 41
60. 1956 The Voyage of H. M. S. Beagle (LEC) 41 of 47
61. 1957 Till I End My Song (Dent) 49 of 55

Thus 909 of 1407 total engravings, 201 of 294 from the 25 Golden Cockerel books, and 363 of 477 from the eight "river" books.

Only from the following 12 books are all the engravings reproduced: Twelve Wood Engravings, Red Wise, Pelagea and Other Poems, Count Stefan, A Circle of the Seasons, The Man from Kilsheelan, The Seventh Man, Lord Adrian, Glory of Life, Mr Glasspoole and the Chinese Pirates, The Tale of The Golden Cockerel, Othello.

There are also 94 wood engravings not from the 61 books listed above, and additionally 13 copper engravings.

Here is 1939/J

and it is from

which was, until today, the one Guinea Series book that I did not have.