DER PSALTER DEUDSCH

Munich: Bremer Presse, 1929. No. XVIII OF 18 COPIES ON VELLUM (and 150 copies on paper). 350 x 250 mm. (13 3/4 x 9 3/4"). [66] leaves.
Excellent dark blue crushed morocco by Hugo Peller (stamp-signed on rear turn-in), covers framed with gilt and blind rules, smooth spine with gilt-framed compartments, gilt lettering, DARK BLUE CALF DOUBLURES framed in gilt, blue calf endleaves, top edges gilt. In a felt lined, morocco-lipped wooden slipcase. With gilt opening initial by Anna Simons. Printed in Bremer's Bible type. Schauer I, 87. ◆A BEAUTIFUL COPY, the vellum creamy, smooth, and bright, with generous margins, and the binding with virtually no signs of wear.

This is a superb copy of the luxury vellum-printed edition of the Bremer Press Psalter, produced with the type created for the press' magnum opus, the German Bible (1926-29), and offered here in a binding by a modern master. Cave says that the Bremer Presse, founded in 1911 by Willy Wiegand (1884-1961) and others and active until the Nazis came to power, had an influence that "was probably greater and longer lasting than that of any of the other fine presses." Following the typographic lead of Cobden-Sanderson and Emery Walker, the press "was very much in the grand tradition; a few good, special typefaces were cut and used with magnificent effect in large format editions of Homer, Dante, Tacitus, the Luther Bible, and similar books." The typeface here was specially created for the Bible celebrating the 400th anniversary of Luther's translation. According to Schauer, Wiegand considered the press' existing fonts, and decided "the Schwabacher would have seemed too profane, the Fraktur too cheerful, the Textura too solemn." He needed a type that would "express directly the primal and at the same time weighty nature of Luther's new High German language." As with the Bremer Bible, the text of our Psalter is adorned only with the initials created by Anna Simons. Because she was a woman, Simons (1871-1951) was barred from studying at the Prussian Arts and Crafts School, so she travelled to England to learn from Edward Johnston at the Royal College of Art. Johnston's biographer Priscilla Johnston writes, "She was one of the best students Johnston ever had and certainly one of those who exercised the greatest influence afterwards, for she disseminated his teaching throughout Germany where it was perhaps more fruitful, even, than in England." She designed some 1,400 initials and title pages for the Bremer Press. The subtle beauty of the print work and the sumptuousness of the vellum is matched by our restrained, elegant binding. It is the work of Swiss artisan Hugo Peller (1917-2003), whose skill as a binder was equalled by his talent for teaching; he is cited by some of the foremost designer bookbinders working today as their most influential instructor. He won prizes in multiple countries for his work, was elected a member (and served as vice president) of the Meister der Einbandkunst, and was director of the Centro del Bel Libro in Ascona from 1978-83. In this special version on vellum, the present book is among the most satisfying of private press books of the last century.. (Inventory #: ST20055)