NYT Review of "The Ideal Book"
Despite printing just 300 copies of "The Ideal Book, Cobden-Anderson's essay received widespread attention, including from The New York Times in May of 1901.
The review is as much about the printing and binding of the essay as about the content:
“The Ideal Book”
One of the most beautiful specimens of perfectly unadorned typography – indeed, one is tempted to say, one of the finest specimens of modern printing – is the second issue of the Doves Press “The Ideal Book or Book Beautiful,” a tract by T.J. Cobden-Sanderson, recently printed by him and Emery Walker at the Doves Press, 1 The Terrace, Hammersmith, West London.
In a book which professedly treats of calligraphy, printing, and illustration, and the book beautiful as a whole, it is particularly gratifying to find even the smallest detail has been carefully thought out and carried into execution. The paper, presumably made by the Bachelors of Little Chart, is exquisite in quality and finish, soft in tone and to the touch, the flyleaves being of a thinner texture than the body of the book, the paper bearing the attractive mark of the press, two doves on a nest facing each other above the initials of the owners of the press.
The page is perfectly proportioned, its lateral leading being just slight, and that used between the lines being just sufficiently thick for the size of the type, which is unusually fine. The book is entirely devoid of ornament, its effectiveness depending upon the use of capitals in addition to a body of small type, and upon the perfection of its presswork. The book’s colophon gives in addition to the author’s name and that of the printers, the date of completion, Oct. 19, 1900, and the names of its compositor, J.H. Mason, and its pressman, H. Gage-Cole, which is certainly a case of honor where honor is due. The Title page is remarkably fine, and it is only necessary to add that its full vellum binding is the work of the Doves Bindery to show how nearly perfect all its details must be.
The book, a small quarto, was issued in February in an edition limited to 300 copies on paper at 12s. 6d., and 10 on vellum at 3 guineas. It was so oversubscribed before publication, however, that the price rose at once so that paper copies commanded soon after publication at least 2 guineas.
The remainder of the review addresses the content of the essay (something we examine in other posts). What fascinates me, however, is how effectively Cbbden-Sanderson seems to have made brought the aesthetic vision set forth in the essay into reality. He seams to have "walked the walk" and not just "talked the talk." And this was noted at the time.
In the Ampersand Book Studio edition, we will do our best to honor this tradition. Clearly, there are limits. For example, it is beyond our ability to obtain the custom paper originally commissioned by the Doves Press. In its place, we will use another high quality 100% cotton paper from the 300-year-old English St. Cuthberts Mill.
We also have recreated the design of the original, noted as being "perfectly proportioned." And we will strive to come as close as possible to the printing skill exhibited by master pressman H. Gage-Cole, while also recognizing that he probably had decades of experience.
While I cannot guarantee that our edition will immediately appreciate as the original did, I can certainly hope that it will be worthy of your appreciation.
Pre-orders for the Ampersand Book Studio edition of The Ideal Book or Book Beautiful are being accepted on our website. There will be one-hundred available in paper, twenty in vellum, five in leather, and twenty-five in pages for bookbinders.