Ana the Runner, Treatise for Princes & Generals; Attribued to Prince Mahmoud Abdul

[London]: The Golden Cockerel Press, 1937. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Near fine. Webb, Clifford. One of 150 special copies, large octavo size, 110 pp., signed by Patrick Miller. The Golden Cockerel Press came together in autumn of 1920, at a time when post-World War I society was ushering in a renaissance of creative minds, including another renaissance of the printing press as the artist's tool similar to that of William Morris and the arts and crafts printers of the previous century. The press worked with many notable artists including Eric Gill, Blair Hughes-Stanton, Robert Gibbings, and the artist for this work, Clifford Webb.

Clifford (truncated) Cyril Webb (1895-1972) studied art and is best known today for his wood engravings. He was a founder-member of the Society of Wood Engravers, and "was a prominent figure in the group of engravers whobrought about the revival of wood engraving in the 1920s, and benefited from the encouragement of Robert Gibbings and the Golden Cockerel Press" (n.b., quote from Webb's entry in Horne, "The Dictionary of 20th Century British Book Illustrators", p. 437).

___DESCRIPTION: Quarter bound in brown morocco with beige canvas over boards, gilt lettering and cockerel device on the spine, top edge gilt, fore- and bottom edges uncut, the frontispiece one of six full-page engravings by Webb bound in throughout; Caslon Old Face type on Arnold's hand-made paper, large octavo size (9" by 5 5/8", pagination: [1-4] 5-[109] [1, colophon], limited edition of 150 signed copies, this no. 96 with Miller's signature at the colophon (there was also an unlimited trade edition).

___CONDITION: Near fine, the leather shelfback smooth and supple, the boards clean, straight corners with the cloth just beginning to fray rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; very light rubbing to the head of the spine, light offsetting to the endpapers from the turn-ins, and a very tiny spot on the title page.

___CITATION: Pertelote, no. 122.

___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.

___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help. (Inventory #: 33330897)