Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-03

success. good example of its output
will be found in Early Boston Bookshelf
ers, written by George Emery Littlefield.
The Rowfant Club of Cleveland, Ohio,
which was organized on a memorable
Grounding day, 1892, and still holds its
resented by a fine photography of the
works of Hawthorne. The Philobiblon
Club of Philadelphia, which in 1893 came
into existence through an exhibition OF
rare books arranged by Harrison Morris
anu John Thomson, and given In the
Academy of Fine Arts. is represented by
its first publication. which is none other
than THE Excellent Privilege of Liberty
and Property, being a reprint and fac
smile of the first American edition OF
Magma Charta, printed in 1887 under the
direction of William Penn by VIM. Brad
ford" while the Caxton Club of Chicago,
founded in 1895 comes into the field with
charming little volume, "Waubun, a
tale of the early days in the great north
west.
The more elaborate books, those with
most lavish characterization and decora-
tive type, have been issued by the So
called private presses publishers who,
in most instances have found limited edi-
lions and unique form profitable as
well as artistic. The first of these was
probably the Chiswick, London. and the
most famous the Kelmscott, at Hammer
smith England. The Chswick Press. rep
resented by sumptuous volume of Sir
Thomas Moore's utopia, Boosting as a
1rOntlSDleCe Spleuulu GSpIouuClIph VI
Holbein's portrait of the author. was es-
tablished in 1889 by Charles Whiting
ham, with hand press and old Caslon
type, in a garnet In Dean street; cont1n-
ued at his death by his nephew until al
most a century later, and then acquired
by George Bell From it have come some
of the most beautiful little illustrated
volumes that have ever appeared in Eng
land and for it some of England's great
est artists and writers have produced
their works
Source of the Arts and Crafts Move
ment.
The Kelmscott Press, for which William
Morris, Gabriel Dante Rossetti and Burnc-
Jones were directly responsible, is almost
too well known to need even word of IN
PRODUCTION From that center of industry,
and that little corterie of independent
thinkers came the arts and crafts move
ment which means the recultivation OF
good taste and the ennobling of the work
er. Let everything be appropriate, but
beautiful; and let there be JOY in produc-
tion," was their motto, and it is demon
strated In their work.
The "Works of Chaucer,' edited by f. S,
Ellis and printed by William Morris in 1898
one of the most noted of the kelmscott
books-is included in the library collection,
and shows folio pages richly ornamented by
picures and designs, with which the text
takes it's place a factor in a decoration.
| ..Iefevre Raoul-The Recuyell of the His
toryes of Troye' is also here, charming
specimen of typographical art. The Kelm-
scott Press ran from 1891 to 1888, and in
$50 it's productions were bringing ten times
their original price; since then, however,
they have greatly deprecated in value,
some, at forced sale, going for less than
their first cost. This is not Invariably the
rule. The works of Chaucer was published
at go never brought less than e2I, and in
1905 sold for G45.
AS a faint echo of this famous press
comes, from the Village Press of bingham
'.The Hollow Land" by William Norris,
worthy little specimen of good private
printing.
The Merrymount Press of Boston, like
wise, makes able contribution in the form
of an altar book, a folio with ornamental
border designs, conventional pictures clear
printing and red rubrics. The poems of
Edgar Allen Poe are set forth by the Lau-
rentian Press with rather archaic designs
and Ralph Waldo Emerson's American
Scholar" by the same printers, with an all
over pattern of torches. To the lover OF
good literature 1t may sometimes seem as
bad to overload work with commentator
as to present it in poverty of material, out
the one is pardoned as mistaken esteem,
while the other savors merely of forgetfui-
ness. Elizabeth Barrel BrowniHgs Son
nets from the Portuguese" and Rossettis
House of Life have been thus tenderly
dealt with and to the credit of the Elston
Press of London, show border designs fash
toned as exauisitely as priceless lace.
From the Pacific Coast.
From the Pacific coast comes, admirably
printed, "a Book of Tales, Being Some
Myths of the North American Indians" is
sued by the Attic Press of Portland Ore
gon: and from the middle west Wausau,
Wis., has been sent Robert Brownlng's
Saul" with the imprint of the Philoso-
piers Press
| Nothing has yet been said of the Villon
Society of London or the Kamashastra So
ciety of India, or of the less rare. but more
notable publications of the Abbey Press of
Edinburg which are represented interest
ngly in this collection by '.The Merry
wives of Windsor" and the Book of Job."
There Is much to say, and yet much which
must remain unsaid. To the lover of books
the paper, the type the binding. be 1t ever
so simple, makes direct appeal, and the
feeling of book is almost as delightful
as its reading. A reverence for book in
sures its better reading. and more careful
readers will In time produce worthier read
49,. 49, -, St,<.l