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25x19cm, 47pp. With four tipped-in colour plates by Sir William Russell Flint, bound-in tissue guard to frontispiece plate. Copy 3 of 13 (888) on vellum, signed by Russell Flint, printed in Goudy type in black with green titles, initials and borders, bound by Kelly & Sons, London, in full limp vellum with green silk ribbon ties, t.e.g., title blocked in gold to the upper cover and backstrip, housed in a later solander box covered in beige cloth, the inner front, spine and rear panels covered with marbled paper, leather title-label to the spine with gilt title. The Haymarket Press was an imprint of the publishers Halton and Truscott Smith Ltd, perhaps best known for the annual series of books Fine Prints of the Year, published between 1923 and 1938 and recording the final years of the print revival. In common with some other early twentieth?century commercial publishers, notably Philip Lee Warner at Chatto and Windus / The Florence Press, the firm also looked towards the first English private presses as a source of inspiration for an excursion into ?fine printing?, even to the extent of emulating the ultimate private press badge of honour by printing very small limitations on vellum, as here (there were also 875 copies on paper). The printer is the firm of Morton Burt and Sons of London rather than one of the better?known names associated with commercial fine printing such as the Chiswick or Curwen Presses, but nevertheless the quality of the typography and printing is excellent. A beautiful book. Not in Ransom or Ridler. Condition: overall Near Fine and very pleasing indeed. Externally the vellum binding is remarkably well-preserved, and could be described as as-new condition, as are all four ribbon ties, with not a trace of dirt, wear or fading. It is naturally a dark cream colour with mottling to faint orange tones, with some interesting surface texture and patterning remaining from the original skin. There is a slight inward bow to both front and rear boards. Internally with a faint pencil ownership inscription to the front pastedown, the vellum sheets having a slight individual waviness as is inevitable (but not to the point of creasing the tipped-in plates) and a few superficial colour and texture blemishes, some at least of which look to be as-issued and inherent in the original processed skins. This copy without the extra set of plates sometimes encountered, although these are not called for in the colophon. The box is well made, the only flaws being about 1cm starting to the cloth at the head and foot of the rear hinge and minor bumps to the corners. Seller Inventory # W0852
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Bibliographic Details
Title: The Book of Tobit and the History of Susanna
Publisher: Haymarket Press (Halton and Truscott Smith Ltd), London
Publication Date: 1929
Binding: Soft cover
Illustrator: Sir William Russell Flint
Condition: Near Fine
Signed: Signed by Illustrator(s)
