The Iliad; [and] The Odyssey. [With Pope's Translation.]

NONESUCH PRESS: HOMER.

Published by [London:] The Nonesuch Press, 1931

First Nonesuch editions, The Iliad number 302 of 1,450 copies and The Odyssey number 689 of 1,300 copies. The Nonesuch Homer was one of the finest productions of the press and a shining example of the marriage of fine printing and commercial viability. The Nonesuch Homer "represented a collaboration that included some of the best book designers of this era: the Dutchman Jan van Krimpen, who created the open capitals at the head of each book and set the Greek type; Rudolf Koch, a German designer who engraved some of the ornaments; and Koch's assistant Berthold Wolpe, who drew the figure of the Greek warrior for the title pages" (Eskilon, p. 154). The original Greek text is printed parallel to the English translation of Alexander Pope, whose Iliad and Odyssey were published within the years 1715 to 1720 and 1725 to 1726, respectively. This copy of The Iliad retains the publisher's elusive inlaid slip "On First Looking into Pope's Homer" by Francis Meynell, who provides instruction on how to open the book so that the pages lie perfectly flat and how to separate the uncut pages using a paper knife. Dreyfus 72 & 78. Stephen J. Eskilon, Graphic Design: A New History, 2019. 2 works, tall octavo. Title pages printed in red and black with engraved hoplite vignettes, vignette chapter headings printed in red and black. Original orange niger, spines lettered in gilt, raised bands ruled in blind, covers and turn-ins ruled in gilt, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt, fore and bottom edges uncut. Housed in original marbled slipcases. Bindings slightly mottled, minor rubbing and stripping to slipcases: a very good copy. Seller Inventory # 181336

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Iliad; [and] The Odyssey. [With Pope's ...
Publisher: [London:] The Nonesuch Press, 1931
Signed: Signed by Author(s)
Edition: 1st Edition