The Life and Typography of William Caxton, England's first printer, with evidence of his typographical connection with Colard Mansion the printer at Bruges. [ 2 vols, complete set ]

Blades, W.

Published by Joseph Lilly, London, first edition, 1861-1863, 1861

2 vols, later quarter leather and marbled boards with vellum corner-tips, skiver spine-labels 4to, xv, 298 pp, portrait frontispiece, + xii , 310, [1] pp, 57 plates . The first edition of a landmark work. The great bibliographer A. W. Pollard wrote that from the production of this work, the public start of a new movement in bibliography must be dated. "In Pollard's view the achievement of Blades's book was (i) to prove the typographical connexion between Caxton and Colard Mansion, the calligrapher of Bruges; (ii) to arrange all the Caxton editions which he could trace in fairly close chronological sequence according to the type with which they were printed; and (iii) in doing so to set (despite some omissions and mistakes) a bibliographical model for future workers incomparably better than any which he himself had found when he first took up his subject. His book was thus a landmark in bibliography, while by its publication of Caxton's prologues and epilogues it aroused well-deserved interest in him as a man. " (quotation from James Moran's article "William Blades" in The Library, 1961). Blades later reworked the book under a slightly different title for the 1877 commemoration of the Quarcentenary of Printing in England, but the first edition is superior both in production and content. The second edition , according to its introduction , added only one fact of importance -that Caxton was married and left a married daughter - while having a substantially curtailed bibliography. A scholarly biography of Caxton in Part One is followed by a detailed bibliography in Part Two (pp 165-369) , in which Caxton's printed books are classified from Type No.1 to Type No. 6, and much typographical information is given. There is also a listing of doubtful works. Blades, a printer himself, succeeds in imparting a lot of technical information in very readable form. Indexed. Bigmore & Wyman: "This .traces Caxton's history and the influence which surrounded him in youth and manhood. It shows why he became a printer and of whom he learnt the art, There is a minute account of Caxton's printing - office and the typographical habits of his workmen. His types are classified, and their chronological sequence shown, and the great advantage, bibliographically speaking, to be derived from their systematic study. All the books at present known to have issued from his press are described, and remarks made upon them, various minor matters being also treated". Volume I has bound in a blue paper printed broadside of 1861 concerning subscriptions to fund an annuity for a "Caxton Pensioner", signed with the printed initials "W.B." Faint armorial blindstamp of Hull Royal Institution Subscription Library on prelims. Joints rubbed, with wear to foot of front joint of Volume I. Slight agetoning to contents, generally Near Very Good. Seller Inventory # ABE-45067

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Life and Typography of William Caxton, ...
Publisher: Joseph Lilly, London, first edition, 1861-1863
Publication Date: 1861
Binding: Hardcover
Edition: 1st Edition