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Book Catalogue Reviews - February - 2008 Issue

Recent Books about the Book Arts from Oak Knoll

Typeforms A History and other works from Oak Knoll Press.

Typeforms A History and other works from Oak Knoll Press.


By Michael Stillman

Oak Knoll Press has put out a pamphlet of recent books pertaining to the book arts. Of course, Oak Knoll Books is noted for selling older books in the "books about books" genre, but note the subtle distinction. This publication comes from Oak Knoll Press, explaining the recently released titles. Here is a brief description of a few found in Typeforms a history and other titles from Oak Knoll.

Typeforms A History, by Alan Bartram. This book describes 75 different types and places them in their historical context. Bartram also looks at contemporary lettering on buildings and monuments to consider the relationship between printed and architectural forms.

Letterpress Printing, by Paul Maravelas. This is a guide to printing on a letterpress meant to assist those operating fine presses today.

The Encyclopedia of the Book, by Geoffrey Ashall Glaister. This book includes almost 4,000 terms and definitions used in the book trades. It also contains biographies of printers, authors, bookbinders and bibliophiles, information about book societies and organizations, and lots more.

Five Hundred Years of Printing, by S.H. Steinberg. This work covers the entire history of printing, yet still finds room for 100 illustrations taken from the British Library.

How Typography Happens, by Ruari McLean. This work covers the development of typography as an art, beginning in the 17th century.

The SP Century, edited by Scott-Martin Kosofsky. This work celebrates the centennial of Boston’s Society of Printers with numerous essays.

Edward Johnston Master Calligrapher, by Peter Holliday. Oak Knoll notes that Mr. Johnston was a "man of letters," quite literally. He was a noted London calligrapher and typeface designer.

Historical Scripts from Classical Times to the Renaissance, by Stan Knight. Typefaces can only go back 500 years, but calligraphy goes back thousands of years. Here is a look.

Oak Knoll Press (and Books) may be visited online at www.oakknoll.com, telephone 800-996-2556, email orders@oakknoll.com.

Rare Book Monthly

  • ALDE, Apr. 8: GUEVARA (ANTONIO DE). Histoire de Marc-Aurèle, Empereur Romain, vray miroir et horloge des Princes. Paris, Pierre et Galliot du Pré, frères, 1565. €3,000 to €4,000.
    ALDE, Apr. 8: HEURES DE LA VIERGE. Horæ in laudem beatissimæ virginis Mariæ ad usum Romanum. Paris, Charles L'Angelier, 1556. €4,000 to €5,000.
    ALDE, Apr. 8: MONTAIGNE (MICHEL DE). Les Essais. Édition nouvelle, trouvée après le deceds de l'autheur… Paris, Abel L'Angelier, 1595. €6,000 to €8,000.
    ALDE, Apr. 8: [ROJAS (FERNANDO DE)]. Celestina, tragicomedia di Calisto et Melibea, tradotta de lingua castigliana in italiano idioma… Venise, 1531. €2,000 to €3,000.
    ALDE, Apr. 8: CAMÕES (LUÍS DE). Os Lusiadas. Lisbonne, Pedro Crasbeeck, 1613. €2,000 to €3,000.
    ALDE, Apr. 8: CERVANTES (MIGUEL DE). El Ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha. Bruxelles, Roger Velpius & Huberto Antonio, 1611. €6,000 to €8,000.
    ALDE, Apr. 8: LA FONTAINE (JEAN DE). Fables choisies, mises en vers. Paris, Denys Thierry et Claude Barbin, 1678-1694. €6,000 to €8,000.
    ALDE, Apr. 8: CERVANTES (MIGUEL DE). El Ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha. Madrid, Joaquin Ibarra, 1780. €3,000 to €4,000.
    ALDE, Apr. 8: DIDEROT (DENIS) ET JEAN LE ROND D'ALEMBERT. Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris, 1751-1765. €15,000 to €20,000.
    ALDE, Apr. 8: [LIVRE TISSÉ]. LAMARTINE (Alphonse de). Les Laboureurs. Poème tiré de Jocelyn… Lyon, J. A. Henry, 1883. €8,000 to €10,000.
    ALDE, Apr. 8: [LIVRE TISSÉ]. Livre de prières tissé d'après les enluminures des manuscrits du XIVe au XVIe siècle. Lyon, [A. Roux], 1886. €5,000 to €6,000.
  • Sotheby’s
    Books, Manuscripts & Objects from Three Important Collections
    Open for Bidding 2-17 April
    Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: [Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun]. Le Roman de la Rose, [Geneva or Lyons, c.1481], first printed edition of the most important medieval French vernacular poem. £200,000 to £300,000.
    Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: Castiglione. Il libro del cortegiano. [Venice], April 1528, first edition, in a magnificent binding by Jean Picard for Jean Grolier. £100,000 to £150,000.
    Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: Jacobus de Cessolis. Schachzabelbuch, Strasbourg, 1483, von der Lasa copy. £50,000 to £70,000.
    Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: World Championship, 1972. A collection of 84 press photographs of the famed match between Spassky and Fischer. £2,000 to £3,000.
    Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: Ben Franklin. Autograph letter signed, to Lord Shelburne, British Prime Minister, during peace negotiations, November 1782. £15,000 to £20,000.

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