Rococo [First Book of the Black Manikin Press / Limited Edition #473 of 500]

THE FIRST BOOK FROM THE PARIS PRESS THAT HELPED DEFINE AMERICAN LITERARY MODERNISM. Rococo marks the inaugural publication of Edward W. Titus's Black Manikin Press, establishing the typographic standards and artistic identity that would distinguish one of the most admired private presses of the American expatriate movement in Paris. Printed in a limitation of only 500 copies, it combines Ralph Cheever Dunning's refined verse with Howard Simon's elegant woodcut illustrations in a volume that reflects Titus's commitment to craftsmanship as much as literature. Issued from Titus's Rue Delambre press, only steps from Sylvia Beach's Shakespeare and Company, the book represents the beginning of a publishing enterprise that would soon become associated with D. H. Lawrence, Anaïs Nin, Henry Miller, and other important voices of twentieth-century literature. For collectors of fine printing, Rococo is the foundation upon which the reputation of the Black Manikin Press was built. A PARIS LITERARY CROSSROADS. Edward W. Titus occupied a unique position within the expatriate literary community of 1920s Paris. Bookseller, publisher, critic, and patron, he fostered relationships with writers and artists working beyond the limits of conventional commercial publishing. The establishment of the Black Manikin Press allowed Titus to unite careful hand-press craftsmanship with contemporary literary experimentation, producing books that were both typographically distinguished and culturally significant. THE FIRST IMPRESSION. Rather than beginning with controversial novels or established literary figures, Titus chose this modest collection of poetry to introduce his new press. The decision reflects his confidence that exceptional typography, thoughtful design, and fine illustration could establish the reputation of a publisher before notoriety or commercial success followed. The collaboration between Dunning and illustrator Howard Simon produced a remarkably harmonious debut that announced the artistic ambitions of the Black Manikin Press. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Original quarter white parchment spine lettered in gilt over blue-grey paper-covered boards with blue paper title label mounted to the upper cover. Measuring approximately 9 by 5.25 inches. Unpaginated (22 pages). Printed in a limitation of 500 numbered copies, this being copy number 473. Illustrated throughout with three tipped-in woodcut plates by Howard Simon, the first bearing the artist's signature in the block. CONDITION: Near Fine. The bindings are tight and square, holding firmly. Internally clean and unmarked with light, even age-toning. Most leaves remain unopened beyond the preliminary gatherings. The parchment spine displays gentle, even toning with faint hand-soiling typical of the material, light rubbing at the extremities, and minor offsetting to the endpapers. An exceptionally well-preserved example of a notoriously delicate production. BIBLIOGRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE: THE BIRTH OF BLACK MANIKIN PRESS. Rococo occupies a pivotal place in twentieth-century private press history as the first publication issued under the Sign of the Black Manikin. It established the visual and typographic principles that Edward W. Titus would continue to refine throughout the following decade, laying the foundation for one of the most respected expatriate presses operating in Paris. PRINTING MODERNISM. Although remembered today for publishing D. H. Lawrence, Anaïs Nin, and Henry Miller, Titus first demonstrated his ambitions through finely printed limited editions such as Rococo. The volume illustrates how the private press movement served not merely as a vehicle for literature but as an expression of bookmaking itself, where typography, paper, illustration, and binding formed a unified artistic statement. A POET WITHIN POUND'S CIRCLE. Ralph Cheever Dunning belonged to the expatriate literary community encouraged by Ezra Pound during the flourishing years of literary modernism in Paris. Howard Simon's re.…