Selected Poems of Coleridge
London: The Nonesuch Press, 1935
First edition thus. Elephant octavo (overall 28.5 x 17.8 cm, 11-1/4 x 7
in.). No. 91 of 500 numbered copies (of which 100 were announced in vellum),
designed by Francis Meynell and printed on fine soft Auvergne laid paper
watermarked “Papier d’Auvergne à la main” at the
Fanfare Press. Three wood engravings by Stefan Mrozewski; title page design
and vignette of Nonesuch Palace by Berthold Wolpe. Full orange vellum covers,
gilt title within frame on spine, four gilt thongs along joints, silver
tinsel endpapers stenciled with Chinese maze-and-blossom pattern in orange,
top edges rough trimmed and gilt, others uncut; publisher’s slipcase
covered in green, orange and blue Spanish-style marbled paper. Collates
[3 ll.], 1 l. (title), 1 l. (colophon), 2 ll. (contents), pp. [1]-130, [2
ll.], including the three wood engravings printed hors-texte on one side
only. Very good, negligible spotting on covers, small black dot center front
cover, covers slightly bowed, pastedowns somewhat buckled, offsetting and
foxing on free blanks, slight offsetting of woodcuts onto facing text pages,
the text pages overall fine, unread and partially unopened, the orange vellum
covers bright and unfaded, overall a wonderful volume; the good slipcase
with substantial edgewear and some surface abrasion. Meynell agreed with
Lynd that Coleridge happily selected, here by Stephen Potter, editor of
the Compendious Coleridge, is better than Coleridge collected.
This handsome production, recalling the more familiar 1928 orange vellum
issue of La Divina Commedia with illustrations after Botticelli,
includes hors-texte full-page white-on-black wood engravings illustrating
“Kubla Khan,” “Christabel” and “The Ancient
Mariner” by the vanguard Polish book-illustrator Mrozewski (1894-1975).
Dreyfus 105.
Price: $250
Inquiries: mail@mobysnewt.com
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