Heavenly Monkey Press (2 results)

First edition, number 2 of 5 copies. A scarce group of publications from Rollin Milroy and his Heavenly Monkey Press, showing its scope in ephemeral printing during the years 2000-2010. Only 5 sets were made and issued by the typography and design specialist shop, Collinge & Clark in London. A beautiful collection from one of the preeminent Canadian fine presses of the 21st century. 12 ephemeral printings ranging from bifoliate leaves to several-page, stitched booklets of various sizes, colors, papers, etc., plus a bifolium title/contents leaf from the publisher. Housed in a printed paper chemise and a red cloth Solander box with printed label. Light creasing to title leaf else contents fine. Box near fine with a light stain to fore edge.

From the publisher, Rollin Milroy: "The focus of Labour Vertue Glorie, however, is not the content or interpretations of the two authorsÕ emblems, but the production and form of the books from which these sample leaves come. To that end, the book reprints three of WitherÕs prefatory notes from A Collection: one about William MarshallÕs engraved frontispiece, one about the game of lots included in the book, and ŌTo The ReaderĶ in which he discusses at length the bookÕs creation and intent. Each of these is appended with comments from a variety of sources, discussing and sometimes disputing the authorÕs words. The comments also provide some insights to how Wither adopted, and more importantly adapted, RollenhagenÕs original work for his own purposes. While not exact facsimiles, the reprinted texts follow the originalÕs use of swash characters and seemingly random combinations of roman, italic, and majuscule types. But only the reprinted texts; the rest of the book is set in a more traditional, and calming, manner." Quarto. 63, (ii)pp. . Series 3, with a leaf from both Rollenhagen'a Nucleus Emblematum Selectissimorum and Winter's Collection of Emblemes, Ancient & Moderne. Series 1 contained four leaves, including leaves containing the same engravings from Rollenhagen and Winter; Series 2 contained a leaf from Rollenhaben paired with the same plate on a Wither leaf. With illustrations, ornaments, and decorative initials. Bound in cream-colored paper over boards at the HM Studio. A fine copy. One of forty-eight copies, done in three different formats. Series 3 is one of twenty-four copies out of a total edition of forty-eight copies.