A Pressman for the Ages

Trying to live up to the work of Henry Gage-Cole

In its 1901 The New York Times review of the original Doves Press edition of The Ideal Book, the small book was dubbed “one of the finest specimens of modern printing.” As someone seeking to create a facsimile – and someone relatively new to the letterpress printing world – this poses a challenge. After all, even with access to the original type – albeit in electronic form – and design, perfecting the work as ink on the page requires a deft touch. Trying to live up to the original appears, in many ways, a daunting challenge. My jagged learning curve does, however, increase my respect for a most unsung hero in the history of 20th century printing: Henry Gage-Cole, pressman. At the Doves Press, it was he who ultimately was responsible for implementing the vision of the publisher/designers Cobden-Sanderson and Emery Walker, compositor John Henry Mason, type-cutter Edward Prince, and calligrapher/typographer Edward Johnston. It was Gage-Cole who actually put ink on the page. Without such craftspeople, all of that artistic vision would have amounted to naught.

In 1891, at the age of just 14, Gage-Cole was taken on as an apprentice pressman at William Morris’ Kelmscott Press where he remained until its closure in 1898. There, he was involved in printing some of the most remarkable works of the early Arts and Crafts Movement.

One of the Kelmscott Press editions on which Gage-Cole worked as an apprentice.

By the time he joined the Doves Press in 1900, Gage-Cole had achieved journeyman status. As Marianne Tidcombe writes in her seminal history of the Doves Press, he “was responsible for almost all of the presswork from the start of the Press until war broke out in 1914,” including their editions of Paradise Lost and The Bible.

Henry Gage-Cole (right) and fellow pressman Albert Lewis at the Doves Press circa 1911.

In the early months of the Great War, Gage-Cole was called up as a part of the 13th London Regiment (the Kensingtons). After surviving four years as a stretcher-bearer on the front lines, he returned to London to find the Doves Press closed. However, his reputation as a master of his craft meant his skills were in high demand. For the next two decades, he worked at the Central School of Arts and Crafts and for several fine presses, mostly in London, but also as far away as the Weimar Republic (Germany). Indeed, he was instrumental in the creation of some of the finest volumes printed in 1920s and 1930s.

Most notably, Gage-Cole was the pressman on the Cranach Press edition of Shakespeare’s Hamlet (1930). Published in Weimar Germany by Count Harry Kessler, this remarkable edition featured a title illustration by (the ever problematic) Eric Gill, as well as 80 woodcut illustrations by Edward Gordon Craig.

An advertisement for and pages from The Tragical Historie of Hamlet Prince of Denmarke (1930) printed by Gage-Cole for the Cranich Press.

Gage-Cole was also the pressman for and/or advised the Swan Press, Stourton Press, and Ashendene Press.

1930 Swan Press edition of Grongar Hill by John Dyer, printed by Gage-Cole.

The Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach, commonly called Ecclesiasticus (1932) by Ashendene Press, printed “with the help of H. Gage-Cole.”

The 1931 Stourton Press edition of All for Love or The World Well Lost by John Dryden “printed by Fairfax Hall at his private press at Stourton House, Dacre Street, Westminster, with the help of H. Gage-Cole, pressman, S. Bradshaw and S. Ball.”

While I am not entirely clear on what was meant by “with the help of” – whether he did the printing by his own hand or supervised other skilled pressmen – there can be no doubt that the expertise and skill of Gage-Cole was recognized, valued, and sought throughout the Fine Press/Private Press world.

The Challenge

For me – in creating a facsimile of a Doves Press volume – the quality of Henry Gage-Cole’s work presents a daunting challenge while also serving as a real inspiration. As someone with far (FAR!) less experience than that of Henry Gage-Cole, I am completely intimidated by the fact that people will and should compare my work to that of the original. And I know that it will absolutely pale in that light. To be honest, over the past few weeks of printing off and on, I have vacillated between thinking “good enough is good enough” and “this will never be good enough.” I have adjusted roller heights, platen pressures, ink feeds, and plate positions over and over. I have completely reprinted pages that I originally thought were fine. Then reprinted them again. I have wasted paper, but, I suspect, not wasted time, as each iteration leads me to increased skill and better printed pages. I have been excited and encouraged, as well as pessimistic and depleted. And, steadily, I am getting close to the point of “this is actually good.” (Just not at the Gage-Cole level of good). The fact that beauty in letterpress printing is, indeed, possible – the fact that Gage-Cole achieved near perfection – continues to inspire my efforts.

Which is to say that the printing of The Ideal Book is taking a bit longer than originally planned. Will I rise to the level I see in the skilled printing of Mr. Gage Cole? Almost certainly not. But I will be inspired by it to keep improving. And I will not settle for “good enough.” Because it isn’t.

One of the pages I was able to (re)print this week. I should be able to complete the printing this coming week, then proceed to the binding process.

Coming Up…

As you might surmise from this entry, I have been a bit too “in the weeds” to be able to write about the actual process of printing The Ideal Book. However, with the end in sight, I hope to have a new essay about the process – and an ode to the Heidelberg Windmill press – posted in a week or two. A bit of critical distance will help me express my increasing love and respect for that marvel of letterpress technology.

“My” Heidelberg Press – well, the one that Eric Doyle of Betts Printing has virtually turned over to me for this project, as well as whatever comes next for Ampersand Book Studio.

Also in the plans is a profile of two local artists who are starting a new letterpress and art print workshop here in Tucson. As someone who has entered this world later in life, it is wonderful to see the enthusiasm for these crafts in younger generations. I look forward to highlighting their new work as they launch.

This morning, we moved the ±900 lb./410 kg. from my home’s front patio (how it got there is a story in itself!) to the new workshop being started by a new generation.

Pre-Order the Ampersand Book Studio limited edition of The Ideal Book on our website.