What presses deserve more love?

What's a press that you love – and you feel like you're the only one?

Or what's a press that doesn't get the attention it deserves on this particular forum?

My answer: Trovillion Private Press at the Sign of the Silver Horse

I feel like I'm the only person in the world that cares about these guys! They were, for a time, America's longest-running private press. They were less of a fine press – though their work is often quite fine, hand-set, hand-press, hand-made paper – and more of a private press, a husband and wife scouring European libraries for forgotten manuscripts to print up and distribute to their friends and a dedicated collectorship. They also basically fought Nazis in their small Illinois town. Most of their books can be had for under $40.

>2 grifgon: I saw one of their books in a local used book store, once; a charming collection of sundial aphorisms. Not quite my collecting interest, but very nice work nonetheless.

My own vote remains for Cheap Street. For all the interest in current science fiction letterpress production, I'm surprised more people don't delve back into these older works. Another husband and wife team, with a thoughtful design aesthetic. And relatively cheaply had, if you can find them.

I could mention Kelly-Winterton Press of Jerry Kelly.

I feel like Petrarch Press could get a bit more love. They are one of, if not the, only press that still prints on vellum regularly, and everything from typesetting to printing to binding is done completely by hand.

The Private Press of Will Ransom, Maker of Books (1921-1925).

Ransom was a graphic designer, type designer and bibliographer. His two bibliographies of private press books are still standard references (Private Presses and Their Books, NY: Bowker, 1929) and Selective check lists of press books..., NY: Duschnes, 1963). With Frederick Goudy, he founded The Village Press in 1903.

His own endeavor didn't last long, but he did turn out some interesting volumes, including at least one book for a trade publisher: Tanka: Poems in Exile by Jun Fujita which he did for for Covici-McGee in 1923. Fujita himself is an interesting person. His main claim to fame is as a photojournalist, but was also a poet and actor.

>1 grifgon:

The Tern Press (1973-2011) of Nicholas and Mary Parry.

>3 ambyrglow: My favorite.

>1 grifgon: I know there's a couple other collectors here, but Red Angel Press, the press of Ronald Keller who passed in 2021, went underappreciated for many, many years with some of the most fascinating artwork you'll come across in private press.

>1 grifgon: Roswitha Quadflieg's Raamin-Presse (1973-2003). 'Unity and simplicity of the subtlest kind' (John Ryder). Vastly undervalued by Anglophone bibliophiles, and I speak partly literally, from personal experience of some horrible losses I sustained in disposing of duplicates on my way to building a complete collection!

But, seriously, wonderful books. The Press operated on the purest private press principles, Quadflieg alone determining the selection of texts (which although always significant, entirely avoid repetition of the usual classic choices for private press treatment) and also acting as the sole designer, printer and artist/illustrator for all of her books. Only the bindings were outsourced to the excellent and sympathetic work of Christian Zwang of Hamburg (amusingly Quadflieg claimed to have chosen Zwang because he was the first bookbinder she encountered on browsing back-to-front through the local telephone directory).

>9 NathanOv: Tag. I'm it. Yes, Red Angel.

>7 dlphcoracl: Tag also. Yes, Tern Press!

Also, maybe Cricket Press, unless I am too new and missed them having been highlighted before.

For those who love pure typography well printed on great paper: Eurographica. I don’t think I have ever seen it mentioned here.

>4 Transfixed: I really like their content

The Devil’s Thoughts and Apologia Vita Sua is one of the few Coleridge works I’ve found not named Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Also, Aeneas in the World of the Dead

And while we’re talking Jerry Kelly I like the edition of Aesop’s Fables he did at A. Colish, another press I haven’t seen mentioned.

An obvious one: Aralia Press

Aralia is among the most impactful private presses ever, having been at the epicenter of a major literary movement, New Formalism. Mike Peich (a man whose dedication to rhyme and meter is in the name!) printed over a hundred poetry chapbooks, many of them first editions, to exacting standards. Still, most Aralia chapbooks can be found for very reasonable prices. They're so good and important that I suspect Aralia will eventually go from "easily obtainable" to "hard to find" as more of the catalogue is scooped up by discerning collectors who will never part with what they've gotten. Also, they're slowly filtering into university special collections.

Lion and Unicorn Press published some interesting editions. The Merchant’s Tale (1960) has a unique format mixing half and full pages to ensure the modern translation and olde English are always side by side. A side effect is that some page numbers go backwards, which feels odd at first but works. They worked with the original translator who advised on the text and edited his previous work.

Also published an edition of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (don’t own it myself).

>13 greenwald1: A. Colish, oh yes, just for their perfectly enjoyable Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

>16 Transfixed: Abe Colish printed a number of books for the George Macy (LEC/Heritage) and the Grolier Club. The company's archives are at the University of Delaware.

>7 dlphcoracl: What I particularly like about Tern Press books is the almost complete absence of a house style. Each title had a personality of its own and the choice of texts (including much new work and translations) eclectic and important.

>5 Nightcrawl: Fascinating! I didn't realise anyone still printed on Vellum for anything other than historical recreations.

>3 ambyrglow: I really love Cheap Street’s deluxe edition of Sleepside Story.

Their focus and instinct for which emerging SF authors to publish at a time when the genre was basically reinventing itself is truly impressive. I’m amazed how many went on to be absolute giants (Greg Bear, Dan Simmons, KSR off the top of my head).

>20 greenwald1: That's one of the ones I haven't read! I'll have to track it down (I've been getting most of them from the library, for the sake of my wallet.)

Cheap Street Press was wonderful. Gene Wolfe’s Empires
Of Foliage and Flower…man

>14 grifgon: Mike was instrumental in helping me get my start. However, I've never heard any poet or scholar refer to New Formalism as a major literary movement, quite the opposite. Mike's materials were always finely printed, without a doubt. I did my second project on his press in PA, didn't adjust a thing on the machine--it was smack on! Will always be grateful to him. . . .

>23 SuttonHooPress: Oh sure, not "major" as in world-changing like romanticism or modernism – duh – but major in the sense that it is still impactful, still discussed, its importance still debated (ahem).

>24 grifgon: The whole issue of traditional poetic forms vs free verse was all settled in the 40's. No one is talking about it now, and neo formalism is as passé as any other fad in poetry, like poetry of witness. Pointless. Nothing to do with what poetry is. Of course, poetry has form, and other things, but form does not make the poem. James Wright didn't write "Saint Judas" because of neo formalism, and the fact that it is a sonnet is not the whole reason that poem is one of the greatest in the language. So formalism never needed a 'new'--it was always there as an option for the poem. So what . . . . a nymph floats down a stream.

>25 SuttonHooPress: I am so not soliciting any manuscripts from you when Dana and I start our new New New Formalism Press.

>26 grifgon: Wait, if it is NEW NEW, then maybe they'll get it right this time. Do two NEWS make an ALWAYS HAS BEEN? I was going to write a century of sonnets next; they're so easy to set on the computer! also, give Dana my warm regards and tell him I was reading Kees and thinking of him. . . .

>4 Transfixed: Yes: Poems of Sappho

>14 grifgon: I have “Juno Plots Her Revenge” from Aralia - I’ll have to look for more!

>28 kermaier: Yes, it's a joy to hold his Sappho in hand. I love also his editions of Kenneth A. Lohf.

>13 greenwald1: And I was tempted by his The Devil’s Thoughts.

>5 Nightcrawl: I had the pleasure of leafing through the parchment edition of Thoughts from the Letters of Petrarch and it was delightful.

One press that seems to have received very little attention on this forum is Michael Russem’s Kat Ran Press. While he no longer prints letterpress, the fine press work he produced in the short period he was doing so includes some truly magnificent pieces. My favourite book in my collection is one of his.

I will absolutely second Griffin on Aralia as a truly great press, although I think it has actually received a reasonable amount of coverage in the couple of years I have been on this forum.

>12 SebRinelli: A good choice. I love their pared-back approach.

>32 ChestnutPress: I have only one example of his work, a short poem by Maryann Gashi-Butler with 2 wood engravings by Hilary Paynter (printed for the Primrose Academy) which, slight though it may be, is perfect in every way.

>34 duncjl: I don’t even know of that piece!? Thank you for the tip — I have just ordered a copy!!

Larkspur Press and the Press on Scroll Road both produce books deserving far more praise and recognition than I’ve seen either consistently receive.

>1 grifgon: I may sound like a broken record, but: Midnight Paper Sales

>36 jbrnewman: I agree with both these. Bob Baris’s work at Press on Scroll Road was exquisite. Very sad that he passed recently. Gray Zeitz at Larkspur constantly shows that really high calibre fine press can be produced and made available at very affordable prices.

I only have a small number of work from these two presses, but what I have is wonderful.

I accidentally bought Longus's Daphnis and Chloe, published by the Imprint Society, from eBay the other day. ('Accidentally' as I assumed it was the LEC). Fantastic book! I had not heard of the Imprint Society, though I have since read the dedicated thread on this forum. They are comparable to....the LEC.

Also, does anyone own any Intima Press editions? My word, they are incredible! I may have succumbed to temptation at the Oxford Book Fair this year, and bought The Golden Hair of Medusa. I have been meaning to do a little review, but in the meantime I posted some picture on my gallery/profile thing if anyone wants a closer look.

>36 jbrnewman: Strongly agree here, especially the Press on Scroll Road - with their Berry limited pressings being wide steps above the other fine press treatment he's received. I also love his colophon wording - very unusual & stately. Baris put out a lovely essay on printing & farming titled Coincidental Pleasures from the Warwick press some years ago.. both the regular & limited state with sheep vellum are worth checking out - true bargain prices for lovely little books.

For no-longer-active presses I have to submit Aliquando Press of William Rueter. His output reminds me of Incline Press at its peak, with inventive designs and a penchant for certain motifs (in Aliquando's case music and medievalism).

And for active presses I'll go with the long-lived Artichoke Press of Jonathan Clark. Similar to Press on Scroll Road or Reading Room Press, he puts out editions in quiet semi-obscurity that are nonetheless some of the most interesting works in fine press. Each is completely unique and contains works you would be hard pressed (ha!) to find elsewhere.

Oh, and complete concurrence on the previous mentions of Aralia, Larkspur, and Cheap Street. Among the chapbook printers one could do worse than to look up the output of both the Toothpaste Press and the Coffee House Press as well.

>41 Shadekeep: I have Toothpaste Press's Ringtime; are there other publications of theirs you recommend?

>42 ambyrglow: Good choice! Disch is a oft-overlooked sci-fi author, his novel The Genocides is one of my favorite end-of-humanity tales.

As for Toothpaste Press, Countries by Anne Waldman is a delightful chapbook of short poetry themed on different nations that I heartily recommend. She Wears Him Fancy In Her Night Braid by Faye Kicknosway is also worthwhile, and a somewhat larger piece than most Toothpaste Press work.

>41 Shadekeep: The only Aliquando Press edition I have is Poe's The Light-house -- are there any others you'd particularly recommend?

>44 kermaier:

The Oracle's choices:

1. Il Giardino d'Amore
2. Emblemata Amatoria
3.Cantigas de Amigo
4.The Seafarer
5. The Gospel According to Inglis: Aphorisms for Our Time
6. Buchstabenfreude: The Delight of Letters (expensive)

>44 kermaier: Pressing Matters is a beautifully decorated set of essays from Rueter as well as Leonard Bahr, Rollin Milroy, and Paul Hayden Duensing. The Nuns and the Gardener is a more conventionally styled fine press book, with engravings by Wesley Bates, while Laudes Musicae has more of an exuberant livre d'artiste approach. Among the press's output which I don't have yet, I'm still on the hunt for a copy of Il Giardino d'Amore, as I have a thing for ornaments and fleurons.

The press was active for more than a half-century, so there's a lot to be discovered from them.

>45 dlphcoracl: Buchstabenfreude is one of those "books" (it's a bunch of loose sheets for those who are unfamiliar) that I would love to figure out how to frame in a nice, professional way where I can rotate out which sheet is being displayed every few weeks. An off-the-shelf frame seems inadequate for the job. Highly recommend to others!

>45 dlphcoracl:
>46 Shadekeep:
The Seafarer and The Nuns and the Gardener sound right up my alley -- thanks!

>48 kermaier: Happy hunting! And just a side note, the Old Stile Press has also done a wonderful edition of The Seafarer, translated by Kevin Crossley-Holland. It's one of my favorite books from that press.

A press I never hear mention of here is Greenhouse Review Press. It's proprietor, Gary Young, is that rare combination of poet, printer, and artist, a fine relief block and sketch artist who I have always loved working with at my press as well, both as a poet and artist; his prose poems are wonderfull. A protegé of Everson, Gary is a firm fixture in California and has published many poets that matter. One important work of his that you can probably still buy from him for a measly $500 is the translation of Mallarmé's "A Throw of the Dice Will Never Abolish Chance," being the only edition that reproduces Mallarmé's vision for the book, albeit in English, on handmade paper and in full leather. Gary has also done a number of really beautiful broadsides. I doubt one can find an online presence for Greenhouse RP. He is in Santa Cruz up on Bonny Doon Road. I can dig out his address for any who PM me.

>50 SuttonHooPress: Interesting article on "A Throw of the Dice Will Never Abolish Chance," which mentions Greenhouse Review Press:

https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/un-coup-didees-a-new-translation-of-mallarme...

Rosemary Roberts' Celtic Cross Press deserves attention. Ken Spelman has a complete collection up for sale here. It's an old catalogue, but a great bibliography.

>52 Glacierman: It certainly does deserve attention and is a press I was very fond of. The text for the first book from the press (In The Beginning) was actually printed at the Black Pennell Press, which also deserves more love. An article in a recent issue of Parenthesis added a couple more titles I think to those offered by Spelman Books.

>52 Glacierman: A Thrill of Pleasure is one of the first private press books I ever purchased directly from the press.

A couple more:

Solmentes Press

Circle Press

>39 Opinacus: that Medusa looks incredible. Congrats on the purchase!

Morris Cox/Gogmagog Press. Cox was a one-man operation, using the finest materials to hand-make small volumes of his poems and prints. Editions were incredibly small, most under 50 copies. The poems are late-modernist and often deal with war, loss of innocence, and some are very experimental. His printmaking was likewise unique: he would use a variety of materials (something like a collagraph) in a reverse-offset printing method that was, as far as I know, wholly of his own devising. There were a few ardent collectors of his work during his lifetime, including Alan Tucker, David Chambers, and Colin Franklin, who in 1991 published a bibliography of the press through the Private Libraries Association. I cannot think of another printer whose entire body of work (save one volume) was the artistic vision of one man, working in relative isolation and total independence.

>57 DenimDan: Oh, that is a very good shot! I still don't have anything from this press but it is just a matter of time.

>57 DenimDan: ... and anyone who's tempted should hurry hurry hurry to David at Provan Books, who's recently listed on ABE copies of the deluxe limitation of the bibliography (69 copies, with nine tipped-in specimens) at an absolute bargain price.

(I have no commercial interest in this recommendation)

>59 BillWoodbridge: How many copies of the book does he have? I just looked and six were available! Is that a typo?

>60 DMulvee: I think it's probably true - perhaps he bought the remaining stock direct from the PLA, or some other source? But I stress I have no inside information!

>61 BillWoodbridge: A likely story, your having no inside information. And one soon to collapse. I've prepared the sodium pentothal, you see. Soon all will be revealed.

>62 Shotcaller: Noo! Anything but that! I admit everything!

This reminds me of that old tip for getting a promotion at work. Simply send your boss an anonymous message reading: 'Everything is known. All is lost. Flee at once.'

And surprisingly often they do, and you get their job!

>60 DMulvee: Presumably these were 6 of the lot of 7 copies which were sold by Forum Auctions (a London based house) in April 2025 for £260 (excl fees).

The problem with collecting private press books from Morris Cox/Gogmagog Press and Walter Hamady/Perishable Press is that they are two peas from the same unorthodox pod. Most of their books are not books that are read in the conventional sense and one must buy into their unique philosophies and somewhat meandering writings. Additionally, although many of their books revolve around their literary activity as poets, neither Morris Cox nor Walter Hamady will ever be confused with Walt Whitman or Emily Dickinson. That said, both crafted and published books of exceptional design and quality.

Tread lightly here and know what you are acquiring and buying into, especially with their more expensive editions.

>63 BillWoodbridge: Ha!

Does anyone collect or know of the assorted "Parrot" Presses of Dennis Hall? The other month I stumbled upon a pleasant book published by him (as Previous Parrot Press) on the wood engravings of Frank Martin, but can find few examples of his other books. Is this an overlooked press or is not looked at for good reasons?

>67 yikou: I collect Parrot Press books when they pop up but Glacierman is the person to speak to on this. He's done some interesting posts. I found one the other day called Hanborough Parrot Pieces. Yes 'pieces' not press.

>67 yikou: I recommend this post for your delectation.

>69 Glacierman: Thank you! I had glanced through older topics looking for it by name and neglected to use the search bar, oops.

>67 yikou: Just to widen the aviary there is also one"Partridge"! Generally my collection is of letterpress books but I make an exception for the various "Parrots" which (although there are some letterpress) were mostly litho, because they are such a breathe of fresh air and have marvellous illustrators.

>71 duncjl: That's exactly it. One of my favourite Parrot books is Buried Alive. It's set on monotype laser comp at OUP Computing service in 12pt Plantin but it's wonderful. It gives a 1980s aesthetic which merges with the Edwardian illustrations of a prewar England to give a double dose of complex nostalgia. It's jam packed with illustrations. The hand-coloured edition looks particularly vibrant.

>67 yikou: The exemplary copies, 18 of them, bound in full leather, of The Wood Engravings of Frank Martin, are wonderful and highly recommended, if you happen to find any. Photo here. And the leather smells so good! There were also 4 copies individually designed and bound in full Nigerian goatskin by David Esslemont.

If you like the wood engravings of Frank Martin, some of his best are in Newhaven Dieppe: Recollections and some history of the Town of Dieppe, issued also by Previous Parrot Press in 1996.

There's an interesting article about the Parrot Press imprints by Cheltenham Rare Books.

>71 duncjl: They are litho, but great and fine indeed.

>73 Transfixed: Thank you for the link to that most excellent article. Finally, a complete list of Parrots!. Well, almost complete....

Edited 1/1/2026 1614 hrs.

>74 Glacierman: I suppose it's far from complete. You yourself mention the Pliocene Parrot Press. And there's this post about the Inky Parrot Press, linking also their former website as of 2019: web.archive.org/web/20190807055056/http://www.artists-choice-editions.com. There are also archived snapshots of the previous website, the last one from 2008: web.archive.org/web/20080611135736/http://www.parrotpress.co.uk.

A trio (what is the collective noun, anyway?) of Parrots:

>76 duncjl: what is the collective noun, anyway?

A company, prattle, or pandemonium. The last one gets my vote.

I have one Inky Parrot Press title, Bath Night & The Chained Tree.

>75 Transfixed: Thanks to ye as well, my lad! Getting close....

A further pandemonium of Parrots:

>73 Transfixed: Ah wonderful! The colophon mentions 36, did only 18 get made? Either way, certainly will keep an eye out for that and Newhaven Dieppe. I really enjoy the energy his woodengravings have.

A shame that it seems Grey Parrot did not bind any of the assorted Parrot Press books.

>80 yikou: As in any pandemonium, there's cacophony between the prospectus and the colophon. The colophon states a total of 360 copies, which could be more or less correct, if we count also the copies out of commerce.

The prospectus states 280 ordinary copies, which is confirmed not in the text of the colophon, but in the numbering of these ordinary copies (written by hand: "xxx/280"). Cf. this copy, (colophon).

The prospectus then states 42 special copies, bound quarter-leather. It seems the 36 copies, numbered I-XXXVI, mentioned in the colophon, fall under these. The prospectus seems to be more correct as it states that these are coming with 4 additional engravings in a separate folder (not 8 as stated in the colophon), all contained in a slipcase. Cf. this copy, (colophon).

The prospectus further states 18 exemplary copies (not mentioned in the colophon), in full leather, coming with 8 additional engravings in a separate folder (again, the prospectus is correct here), the whole in a solander box. The splendid binding is much better than that of the special copies. I can confirm the existence, not the number of these exemplary copies. Instead of being numbered, my copy is marked by hand: "F/U Exemplary".

The prospectus finally states "4 copies individually designed and bound in full Nigerian goatskin by David Esslemont but otherwise as the Exemplaries".

>81 Transfixed: The prospectus states 280 ordinary copies, which is confirmed not in the text of the colophon, but in the numbering of these ordinary copies (written by hand: "xxx/280"). Cf. this copy, (colophon).

Fascinating, mine is wrritten "231 / 360". I wonder at what point between 206 (as you've linked) and 231 he decided to switch the total.

I like the term "exemplary" as a state of the book. Deluxe is passé.

>59 BillWoodbridge: thanks for this, I picked up one of those and it's absolutely gorgeous. 9 tipped in type specimens on a wide variety of papers as well (standard for the deluxe binding, and numbers 1-10 have even more I believe).

As >65 dlphcoracl: writes, while I appreciate the style of Gogmagog the actual content doesn't exactly fit the broader jib of my collection, so this was a wonderful, limited, cheap way to dip in.

>83 abysswalker: thank you too. You've just chain enabled me on this with your description.

As this year marks the 175th anniversary of the publication of Moby Dick, I thought I'd share this photo of Cetus The Whale from the Melville Press, which it is impossible to adequately photograph in its splendid, extended entirety:

With its quite remarkable endpapers:

>85 duncjl: Exquisite! Catherine does such lovely work.

A small celebration of the Tern Press, often surprising and always idiosyncratic. Perhaps the very definition of a private press, Nicholas and Mary Parry (with only very occasional help) setting, illustrating, printing, colouring and binding all the books; choosing texts that were often first editions, new translations, or not readily available elsewhere.

>88 duncjl: Tern Press is wonderful, I wish I had more of their work. They remind me in the best way of the Old Stile Press at their peak, both in style and in personal dynamics of what they produce.

>89 Shadekeep: Very much so, in my definition above 'Parry' could easily be swapped for 'McDowall' and everything would still hold true. My Old Stile Press books aren't an extensive selection, but I have a quantity of the press's 'incunabula': ephemeral printings like church posters, bookplates etc which are as rare as hen's teeth.

I only own a handful of Tern Press items, but I love those that I have. They are an interesting example of fine press, as while they sit in the ‘fine press’ world, I think they are more realistically described as hobbyist private press productions. They lack the finer points that make a book truly fine press, lacking things like exceptional typography and presswork. BUT this is a huge part of their charm, or certainly for me. Their books are clearly the work of an enthusiastic couple that loved what they did and certainly made creativity an important part of their processes. One of my more recent purchases was their wonderful Thomas Best book on Angling, and one of my most loved books full stop is my special of their ‘A Rook Book’. I think they are one of the best examples of a press that shows you don’t have to be the finest to be beautiful.

>91 ChestnutPress: The Thomas Best is a delightful book; I have a copy under the Evergreen Press imprint and whilst I stand to be corrected I thought John Grice printed the whole edition, with 30 just bearing the Tern Press name. Though I have no knowledge of why either party would have sought a co-publication. Certainly the consistency of the presswork is more Grice than Parry.

>92 duncjl: There are two Tern Press books of Thomas Best on fishing. The one you mention was published much later than the one I am talking about. I think that the Parry’s had pretty much stopped printing at that point but still wanted to publish the follow up volume to their first one. As you correctly state, John printed all, but half carried the Tern Press imprint and were bound differently. Here are a few links to pics of the earlier book which I spoke of:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DRMRT0EDGKU/?igsh=MTBpYXAyaG9wOWRqbQ==

https://www.instagram.com/p/DRMRObjjG1i/?igsh=MTZqNmZkZTh6N3hibw==

https://www.instagram.com/p/DRMRJOTDAFa/?igsh=MjB2MTZ2eXZmb2tx

>93 ChestnutPress: Ah, I see it now: number 72 in the checklist, dated 1992. Not encountered that book before. Thank you.

This time Edward Burrett's Penmiel Press, all his books with immaculate design, occasionally innovative binding and superb illustrations from Burrett himself and often Clarke Hutton. The last two photos (from Rivers in the Desert) with Hutton's drawings on a variety of Japanese papers is a triumph.

>95 duncjl: Interesting press, had not heard of them before. (Momentarily confused the name with Penmaen Press, which is familiar.) Good looking stuff, with a nice spirit of playfulness as well. Looks like one of those private presses that published what they loved.

>95 duncjl: Thanks for the photos! Rivers ... is definitely up there with his best books. I'm a big fan of Penmiel Press books. Burrett printed a couple books (and several chapbooks) on John Mason's handmade paper; I'm still on the lookout for the few I don't have. If I get some time, I'll photograph them. While I'm not aware of a complete bibliography of his press, I have a couple publications that list most of Burrett's work, so if anyone needs details, I would be happy to share them.

>97 DenimDan: I don't know if one of the books you're referring to is the Gaillet Press tribute to Burrett and Penmiel but, if not, that has a checklist (not rich in bibliographical detail) of all publications to 1993. Burrett had died shortly after this latter date, so as the tribute was issued in 1995 it's potentially complete.

Edit: I have some of the books printed on Millbourn and Barcham Green handmade papers, but not the Mason's, so some photos would be great to see if you can.

>95 duncjl: I like the illustrations and the paper on Rivers in the Desert. Although I've not heard of the author.

>95 duncjl: very nice! That Kubla Khan has been on my list of books to find for a while.

>98 duncjl: Of course you're right. I was thinking of the three catalogues from Burret's lifetime, of which Onzea's is the last (1993).

Here are some of the pamphlets/chapbooks that Burrett printed on John Mason's handmade silurian paper (which Mason made from rushes, etc.). There are others; I think I have at least one other Penmiel book on this paper.

>101 DenimDan: Thanks for that. I have some books printed on Zerkall's 'silurian' mould-made, which is materially (in both senses of the word) different from the Mason handmade, so presumably one is just named in homage to the other? (I won't even throw Doctor Who into the equation!)

>102 duncjl: Here's how Mason describes "silurian" in his delightful book Paper Making as an Artistic Craft, a book I highly recommend to anyone who appreciates handmade paper: "Coloured materials, plain or patterned, may be cut up with scissors into tiny fragments and used for tinting rag paper. The intermingled tiny hair-like flecks give very lovely colour effects usually known in the trade as 'silurian.'" In the glossary of the same volume, for "silurian" he offers this characteristically humorous definition: "Paper having numerous minute flecks of fibres of other colours. I wish I knew why it is so called." (You and me both, John!) Both Penmiel and Stanbrook Abbey, who printed several pieces on Mason's paper, also referred to it using this name in colophons and catalogs. Mason might have also another brief explanation of it in one of his two "Hand Made Papers of 12 x 8" books, but I no longer own those.

The way he explains it makes me think of a paper with the inclusions in the second image above ("He that dwelleth ..."), something akin to the silk paper used in old stamps and paper money, although Mason was using raw materials that he claimed to mow down with his shears on his walks. But a lot of his papers that were used for book-work referred to as "Silurian" are if not completely monochromatic, at least relatively so, and by all appearances, lacking the contrasting inclusions. And their texture is pronounced.

I would assume there's a paper-making reference that has a clear explanation for its origins. Perhaps we have such a resource amongst our contributors ...

>103 DenimDan: Thanks for those quotes. I couldn't source much online. The Association of Paper Historians defines 'silurian' as characterized by the flecks resulting from the inclusion of material and threads, and thus tallies with Mason. (Though that definition would equally apply to other papers which the manufacturer's have never applied the designation).
Conversely, however, having checked a couple of examples ( the Rampant Lions Press Putney Debates and Whittington's Lap Games) the Zerkall 'silurian' is completely devoid of flecks and cannot be said to meet the definition (even figuratively). It's main characteristic is the warm, oatmeal colour.
One source suggested that 'silurian' was meant to reflect the paper looked like the rocks formed during the geological period of the same name, but that seems quite an imaginative leap for whoever originally coined the term.
Your mention of Stanbrook Abbey makes me recollect that this press's Unless the Grain Die was partly printed on Mason's paper, but I no longer have my copy to check.

>104 duncjl: Regarding the Stanbrook Abbey Press Unless the Grain Die (Butcher A6), Dame Hildelith went all-out for ever possible permutation (to the dismay of completist collectors):

Copies 1-20 all Silurian, full maroon leather
Copies 21-40 all Silurian, quarter-maroon leather over grey patterned paper-covered boards
Copies 41-60 Silurian endpapers and half-titles only (other sheets J F Head ‘Linda Badger’), full maroon leather
Copies 61-200 Silurian endpapers and half-titles only (other sheets J F Head ‘Linda Badger’), quarter-maroon leather over grey patterned paper-covered boards

The Silurian paper comes in two colours: blue/grey and peach, both with very rough surface textures but the latter with an additional larger-scale ‘wrinkled’ texture on top – almost looking like embossing, although it’s certainly not embossed. Neither paper has ‘hair-like flecks’ of different colours, at least not on a visible scale (David Butcher states "The large number of coloured fibres mixed with the white [stock] produce subtle shades").

Here’s Copy 4’s title page spread showing both colours. David Butcher quotes extensively from Dame Hildelith’s letters regarding the book, especially her opinions on the technical difficulties and finished appearance of the ‘Mason paper’. Perhaps the most interesting passage is:

“… the Linda Badger produces a much better and more readable job, but the book was an experiment in the use of the Mason paper for book production and if the ‘special’ [ie the all-Silurian variants] demonstrates its basic unsuitability at the same time revealing an intangible quality which it can impart to the book, the ‘ordinary’ [ie the mixed-paper variants] demonstrates how it can be useful & impart its own quality without interfering with the essential function of a book – readableness.”

Or, as she puts it more succinctly in an earlier letter “The ordinaries are really nicer than the de luxe”. It’s not entirely clear whether she’s referring to ordinary in the sense of mixed paper, or in the sense of the quarter-leather bindings here (or possibly both), but it’s probably the former. And finally “… the binding is absolutely ‘super’ – the best part of the book”. One senses her heart wasn’t quite with the Silurian paper, despite the (characteristically) superb result she achieved!

>105 BillWoodbridge: Thank you. I have a copy of The Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes and had forgotten it was an extract from this book (and the Bible of course!) I really must pick up a copy of Butcher; not that I am necessarily a big collector of SAP but my understanding is the book has a much wider scope than just a straight bibliography.

>87 Shadekeep: Thank you Shadekeep. I wanted to touch in to inform the group of the impact of the Palisades Fire of January 7, 2025. The Melville Press studio and office of were consumed in the fire. CETUS, The Whale was - gratefully - mostly sold out at the time. A few copies remain, as were a good but small inventory of the ; Prayers Written at Vailima, In the Direction of the Beginning, and new works - Emily Dickinson Poems of Travel and When I was a Lad/Tunnel Book. I am grateful to the Fine Press community, who reached out and was very supportive. I am rebuilding and The Melville Press will continue. Grateful.

Catherine Kanner
Publisher
The Melville Press