The one book that all fine press collections should have...

I am wondering what the members of this forum think of a question which came up at a recent meeting of my collectors' group.

What is the one book which all fine press collections should have?

It's an impossible question to answer, due to the nature of limited editions. Obviously, every fine press collection cannot have any given fine press edition simply because there are not a sufficient number of any edition to go around. But if forced to choose...

A wonderful edition of Shakespeare’ Sonnets.

>2 dlphcoracl: Or perhaps the Psalms?

>2 dlphcoracl: Agree — but which is *the* edition of the Sonnets? Doves Press, maybe? Petrarch Press on vellum?

>4 kermaier:

The nicest edition one can reasonably afford. There are literally dozens of private press editions in a very wide price range.

>1 edkennedy:, since tastes very very widely, and it seems most difficult to point to a particular book as the objectively best or most important example of anything, my suggestion would be something like The Story of the Glittering Plain with which the Kelmscott Press launched its career and the fine press movement as we would today recognise it.

>1 edkennedy: My answer for this one is to own a fine press edition of your favorite work of literature if a fine press edition exists. I personally do not buy fine press books for the "book as art" aspect alone. So many fine press books are poems you won't like from someone you've never heard of but the craft of the book itself is such that it is lauded to the heavens. I knew I had to own the AP Don Quixote and it is the jewel of my collection because I love the book so much. It's by no means the exemplar of fine press work but it is well done nonetheless.

The Philobiblon by Richard de Bury

While not fine press itself, I have had more than one member recommend to me The Book: A Cover-to-Cover Exploration of the Most Powerful Object of Our Time. There are other titles on the art and craft of books which equally belong in many collectors' libraries as well.

>9 Shadekeep: Two more along those lines and getting a bit off-topic:

Warren Chappell's A Short History of the Printed Word and
Steinberg's Five Hundred Years of Printing

In the same vein as The Oracle, I would say either a fine press edition of the Bible (or a select book of the Bible) or Shakespeare's Sonnets.

>7 L.Bloom: “My answer for this one is to own a fine press edition of your favorite work of literature if a fine press edition exists. I personally do not buy fine press books for the "book as art" aspect alone.”

Thanks for stating my view perfectly. My current favorite author is Poe, and innumerable beautiful editions of his work exist. Suntup is in the process of publishing his complete fiction in three states at very different price levels. My personal favorite, though, is an oversized (14” x 18”) limited edition of “The Raven” containing Gustave Dore’s illustrations, published by Easton Press.

CORRECTED to properly describe Suntup’s three editions.

>1 edkennedy: A very interesting, if difficult, question, not helped by being a tad open to interpretation. I read it that you are asking about one specific title from a specific press, ie. the Ashendene Dante, rather than the suggestions that some have put forward of a particular title in any fine press edition, ie. Shakespeare’s Sonnets in whichever fine press edition takes your fancy.

I agree that an edition of The Psalms of David is a fine choice, with the Jan van Krimpen-designed Stichting de Roos one being my most loved.

There are so many beautiful books (for so many different reasons) by so many presses. Add to that the fact that every person's tastes are different and you have an all-but impossible question to answer.

I think the closest I could even offer is giving my personal suggestions of what I think are specific books that are beautiful, with hopefully broad appeal, that I think many would like. The 'edition everyone should have' would then be more a simpler, less high-reaching 'edition that everyone's collection would be enriched by. And that book for me, in the fine press world, is actually a wonderfully humble edition. Believe it or not, I'd offer up 'Vegetable Gardening' from Rampant Lions Press, which is a really enjoyable, amusing text with gorgeous illustrations, beautifully designed and impeccably printed. And I'm not even into vegetable gardening!

>8 MobyRichard: A fine choice. I'd go for the gorgeous Grabhorn Press edition!

>12 jroger1: Thankfully, my favourite piece of literature is available in a fine press edition. And a stunning one at that! It is the LEC edition of Giono's 'The Man Who Planted Trees'

>12 jroger1: As far as I know, all three states/editions of Sunup's Poe are printed offset.

>16 ultrarightist:
You are correct. Most of Suntup’s lettered editions are printed letterpress, but I guess this one is too big.

>15 ChestnutPress: A wonderful edition and impressive in every way. Not sure about the UK but he is such an underrated author here in the US. Luckily Archipelago and NYRB have multiple titles and almost every one is superb.

>18 Joshbooks1: I think he is a much underrated author in most countries, sadly.

>13 ChestnutPress: Interesting that you would pick a title that you aren't personally invested in.

My interpretation of the impossible question would be that it depends almost entirely on personal tastes. For example, my (probably unpopular) opinion would be something from the SFF genre instead of the more classical focus that most others here are suggesting. While I have and will read those classic books, I don't find enjoyment in having a special copy of them. However I would find enjoyment in, for example, an interesting fine copy of David Eddings' Belgariad series.

This isn't to say that my choice is better than what others here have suggested. I just think that what is important in a collection to one person won't necessarily be important to someone else. Focusing on these differences too much could just lead to judgmental opinions instead of what should be a celebration of a variety of quality books.

>6 ubiquitousuk: I agree completely with you.

The question asks: What is the one book which all fine press collections should have?

I think there's a difference between a collection of fine press books and a fine press collection.

Given the latter, the answer must be: A book (take your pick) from Kelmscott, Doves, or Ashendene Press. These three presses effectively started the fine press movement in earnest. Any fine press collection should should have at least one example from among them to tie the collection to its origins.

>13 ChestnutPress: I agree with you completely on Vegetable Gardening. Fine press is at its best when doing something – taking a stand – making a point – not just providing a beautiful vessel for well-loved works. Toward that end, Towards a Reform of the Paper Currency might be my dark horse candidate for a book which any serious fine press collection should have.

>1 edkennedy: For me, it is the book that started it all (the Western Canon at least): Homer's "Odyssey". Find a translation in an edition that suits your budget and taste - but a serious collector must have this title on their shelf.

>15 ChestnutPress: An outstanding edition and a poignant story.

>23 Sport1963: And that I do, in the beautiful LEC edition designed by Jan van Krimpen.

>20 Luke.w: I totally agree with your statements in the last paragraph. Now go and get a copy of Vegetable Gardening! 😁

Consensus Press, The tale of Sinuhe

>21 grifgon: That's a good way to look at the question, Griffin. I'd actually go as far as to say that think it reasonable to suggest any fine press collection AND collection of fine press books should include something from that 'triple crown' of presses, if only as an example of where the rest of the fine books since came from. The first Whittington 'Pages from Presses' is a superb acquisition in that respect, especially for those without abyss-deep pockets. I personally now own only one Doves book, and none from Kelmscott or Ashendene, although I did once have a Kelmscott, an Ashendene, and another Doves. Strange the things we let go over the years!

>24 Sport1963: Isn't it just. It's in my top ten favourite fine press books

>27 filox: Nice! 😁

I don't have any of the Big Three Griffin mentions, so if anyone wants to donate a copy of the Ashendene Thucydides to centre my collection, I'd owe them a favour.

>21 grifgon: I've never owned one from "The Big Three," but I've gotten to fondle some Kelmscott books and a few incunabula back in the day. That'll have to do.

>31 gmacaree:

Excellent choice.

>32 Glacierman: I'd say that the ones to drool over are Ashendene Press editions. Particularly those on vellum. I've had the exquisite torture of spending some time handling those!

>34 ChestnutPress: The New York Public Library special collections has (available to the public with an appointment!) an amazing collection of Doves, Ashendene, and Kelmscott – plus many others. Highly recommend making an appointment whenever anyone is in New York.

>34 ChestnutPress:

Agree.

Among the 'Big Three', the Ashendene Press folio sized editions receive top billing (imho). However, the large quarto Kelmscott editions, e.g., Beowulf, Godefrey of Boloyne, the Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye, etc. are also quite special.

>24 Sport1963: >29 ChestnutPress: I just picked up a copy of the LEC edition of The Man Who Planted Trees last month. Do you know who did the English translation?

>37 kdweber: That's a good question. The honest answer is no! I shall have to see whether it is mentioned in the newsletter.

>37 kdweber:
>38 ChestnutPress:
It is a very good question! None of the sources I can find seem to indicate a translator for the LEC volume.

Translators of other editions of this include:

Peter Doyle (Peter Owen)
Wirton Arvott
Barbara Bray (Penguin)
Jean Roberts (Vintage)

Don't know if LEC used one of these or someone else's translation.

>39 dpbbooks: Yes, the book only mentions that the copyright owner of the English translation is the Chelsea Green Publishing Company. Maybe it was an in house group effort?

In my youth, hungry for a job as a professor and journal editor, I was asked what kind of poetry I look for as an editor. I was surrounded by about 7 interviewers for the position, and I stumbled over myself trying to say what I thought they would want to hear. Later, I realized what my answer should have been, what I truly felt, and that was: If I had an answer to that question I would have no business being a journal editor!

I feel somewhat the same about collecting. The book each collection should have is the one that astonishes the collector the most. For all the others we have libraries. If there was one book that each collection should have as an anchor to tradition, then each collection would be, in its very essence a failure in fulfilling such a global mission. The 'job' of an individual collector would appear to be to keep such books that excite and reveal a particular intelligence and taste.

This might be another thread, but I think a more interesting question is to ask what the finest book is in someone's "cull"ection, the one that had to go to refine one's collection, and how releasing it sharped the parameters of the mission.

I would add, in this regard, that the most important book every fine press collection should have is: the next one.

>41 SuttonHooPress:
What an excellent answer!

Though I suspect the intent of this question was to name a particular individual edition, I am going to answer it in another way.

I think the book every fine press collection should have is at least one masterfully crafted folio-sized edition. It should be printed beautifully using a relief method (hand press, mechanized cylinder press, whatever) on a high-quality paper (quality level Zerkall Mould Made at minimum) and bound competently, but those are the only requirements.

Why? Because many collectors, prior to having some experience with private or fine press output, often assume such books are cumbersome and awkward, akin to huge coffee table art tomes by Phaidon or the like. Additionally, the collector might see specs involving low page count and large font size, and think the whole thing is an exercise in high concept snobbery or artist book excess.

But the truth is a well-made book of this kind is quite readable and not particularly awkward. The form does encourage a certain kind of care and attention, but that is a feature not a bug. Of course, some people may still dislike the big book, and that's fine, but there is a reason that many of the greatest private press books are folio or large quarto, and a collector should own or spend considerable time with at least one such book (ideally of a text for which one feels some personal regard) to see what it is like.

Oh and if I have to pick one title it is the Ashendene Thucydides.

>22 grifgon:
And here’s one for auction (no affiliation):
https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/_5D74C9AA50