A Descriptive Bibliography of the Books Printed at The Ashendene Press MDCCCXCV - MCMXXXV

Shelley House, Chelsea: Ashendene Press, 1935. Hardcover. Fine in very good binding. Hardcover. Number 134 of 390 copies, numbered and signed by St J. Hornby. This magnificent bibliography of one of the greatest British private presses, along with Kelmscott and Doves, was the last book to be to be issued by the press. It was finished in February, 1935, forty years after the first book printed at the Press. This first title was The Journal of Joseph Hornby, published in February 1895. Joseph Hornby was the printer's grandfather. The printer and proprietor of the press, the businessman C.H. St John Hornby (1867 - 1946), wrote an interesting foreword to (truncated) the bibliography. He describes the beginnings of his Press, noting that the Press was the hobby of his leisure hours, where he worked entirely alone for many years. This, he explains, is why the output of the Press was so small in comparison with the Kelmscott and Doves Presses. He notes that William Morris greatly influenced him, and that he treasured the memory of spending an afternoon with him at Hammersmith in 1895.

Hornby discusses in detail his efforts to use the finest papers, inks, and types. He finishes with a note saying that while he did not collate the volumes, he wrote all of the detailed descriptions. He also noted that the many specimen pages are not actual facsimiles, but accurate resettings of the originals. For each book in the bibliography there is a copy of the colophon, the collation, and the description giving the type of paper, the colors of ink, the presence of large initials designed by Graily Hewitt, and the number of copies printed and for what price they were for sale. Following the bibliographic listings of the books, there is a section with images of wood engravings done for the press from drawings by Charles M. Gere, Margaret Gere, R.Catterson Smith, Gwendolen Raverat and Noel Rooke. This section is followed by a section with specimens of initial letters designed for the press by Graily Hewitt, Eric Gill and Louise Powell, that includes printer's marks, water marks, and examples of title-pages. There is also a section with illustrations of some of the bindings of the press including both special bindings and the bindings of issue. Finally, there is a section showing specimens of the founts of type used by the press and a chronological list of the books printed at the press, the number of copies printed, and the prices of those offered for subscription. After the colophon, two sheets of errata are present, one bound in and one loosely inserted.

Bound in brown leather with gilt titling to the spine with five raised bands and the mark of the press in gold on the front cover. Some rubbing to the spine and corners of the covers, and a few light marks to both front and back covers. There is light browning to the fore-edges of the free endpapers in the front and rear, and offsetting to the free endpapers and pastedowns. Text pages are in fine condition. No slipcase. Measures 9.25 x 13.25 inches. 172 pages. PRI/092124. (Inventory #: 37480)