Various (Nonesuch Press)

Nonesuch Press Ephemera Collection (1925-1930)

London, England: The Nonesuch Press, 1925-1930. First Printings. Softcovers in Sewn Bindings; Softcover in Stiff Wrappers. Offered here are four prospectuses for The Nonesuch Press, London. The Nonesuch Press was founded by Francis Meynell and his second wife, Vera in 1922 with their mutual friend, David Garnett who owned the “Birrell & Garnett’s” bookshop in Soho on Gerrard Street. It was in the basement of Birrell & Garnett’s that the Nonesuch Press actually began, and the first book printed there was John Donne’s “Love Poems,” which the Press issued in May 1923. In total, the Press would go on to produce more than 140 books — and many of those books are cataloged in the 4 pieces of ephemera included in this lot, essentially bibliographical catalogs containing records of what the press produced (or, in some cases, planned to produce) for the upcoming year. All of these volumes bear the glued library stamp (at lower left-hand corner of verso of front flyleaf) of one Albert Sperisen, who was very likely the same Albert Sperisen who died in San Francisco in 1999 and was known as “the Dean of San Francisco print production.” Per the SF Gate, “Mr. Sperisen was a former Foote, Cone & Belding executive and bibliophile who became better known after his retirement as the librarian of the Book Club of California, as well as for his expertise as a collector and consultant in the fields of graphic design, fine printing and typography… In 1935, he earned a national reputation in the graphic arts world by winning a national typographical contest sponsored by the American Institute of Graphic Arts in New York. That same year, the first book he designed was named one of the year's 50 best-designed books -- an honor he was to receive four times. In 1939, Mr. Sperisen became associated with the prestigious Colt Press as a book designer, and he went on to form two private presses, the Toyon Press and the Penguin Press. During his lifetime, Mr. Sperisen also assembled a prodigious book collection of his own. In 1958, Stanford University made him honorary Curator of Typography. His fine printing collection is now housed there.” One presumes, then that this was part of Spiersen’s printing collection that did not make it to Stanford or was sold beforehand. This lot contains four items: [1] The “1930 Prospectus and Retrospectus of the Nonesuch Press,” which contains a folded sheet of letterhead from the “Editor’s Office”; [2] “The 1928 Prospectus of Nonesuch Books / Random House 20 East 57 Street / New York”; [3] the “Bodkin Permitting Being the Prospectus and Retrospectus for 1929 of THE NONESUCH PRESS”; and [4], “NONESUCH BOOKS / for CHRISTMAS 1925 / for the SPRING / 1926,” which contains a gently ripped/clipped (and folded in half) ad for The Nonesuch Press from December 12, 1925 offering Nonesuch books for the Christmas season. [1-3] Softcovers in sewn binding: first (and likely only) printings; [4] softcover in stiff wrappers: first (and likely only) printing. The volumes come in a gorgeous clamshell box that says “Nonesuch Ephemera” in beautiful gilt lettering on spine. All volumes in strong near-fine to very fine condition with only minute-to-moderate shelf-wear, light bumping to fine-edges & corners of front, back covers & spine-edge. Clamshell box in very fine condition with only similar slight-to-moderate shelf-wear & light bumping to fine-edges & corners of front, back covers & spine-edge; & some scattered, light rubbing & spotting/browning to select locales at same. Near Fine-Very Fine. [Item #5868]

Price: $60.00