The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, with illustrations by Mervyn Peake. Libanus Press, 2003

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The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, with illustrations by Mervyn Peake. Libanus Press, 2003

1edgeworn
sep 23, 2020, 6:05 am

As a long-time admirer of Mervyn Peake as an artist and book illustrator, I was pleased to be able to add a copy of this book to our collection.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, with illustrations by Mervyn Peake. Libanus Press, 2003.

Small folio. Printed letterpress in red and black by Brian Bailey at the Libanus Press, Marlborough, with 8 colour-washed illustrations by Mervyn Peake, printed the same size as the originals. Printed on Zerkall mould-made paper. This is the special edition consisting of the book with a note on the final working of the drawings by Peake in a rear pocket, together with a separate portfolio of the prints. The book and portfolio are both bound in red cloth in a cloth bound solander box, binding by the Fine Bindery, Wellingborough. The Special Edition is limited to 50 numbered copies.

From Fabian Peake's Introduction:

"My father, Mervyn Peake, was commissioned in 1942 to illustrate 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner'. It was wartime and the restrictions that applied to most things might explain why only eight pictures were produced for the volume. In the first edition of 1943 one illustration was excluded, thought by the publishers to be too disturbing. In all subsequent editions this illustration of the Life-in-Death figure has been reinstated." My last photo shows this macabre illustration.

The note on the care taken by the Press in reproducing Peake’s illustrations is interesting.

“After the first publications of his illustrations, Peake had hope to sell the drawings: he reworked them and colour-washed the papers. None were sold and one was lost. The drawings have been scanned and restored by the Press using the techniques developed with the Alice drawings. The background tints of the original vary. The drawings are printed letterpress to crisply replicate them at the size of the original artwork on a uniform tint to reveal the full effect Peake had in mind with his final reworkings."

I don’t have wcarter’s skill in book photography (some of my photos appear quite dark compared with the original), but hopefully the attached photos give an impression of this book.















2SebRinelli
sep 23, 2020, 6:13 am

Nice! Thanks for sharing. The ‚clean design‘ and two colour printing are adorable.

I also like the Nonesuch Edition a lot but found it impossible to find a reasonably priced copy without foxing.

3edgeworn
sep 26, 2020, 6:35 am

>2 SebRinelli: I agree with you about the design. To my eyes the design and printing are restrained and elegant. As you can see, the balance between the print and the illustrations also very good.

4taxpro
dec 6, 2020, 4:07 am

Denne bruger er blevet fjernet som værende spam.