About this Item
The First UK Printing published by The Grey Walls Press, London in 1946. 8vo., burgundy publisher's boards, with printed blue label ruled and lettered in gilt to backstrip; together in the unclipped wrapper (12s. 6d. net) with illustration of Hercules and Diomedes, replicating the image to p. 85 in text; with numerous black and white illustrations throughout on glossy paper, as well as 9 in the text; The BOOK is in Very Good++ or better condition with the backstrip label lightly rubbed with some pushing to the spine tips; text block marginally toned, with faint offsetting to the prelims/endpapers; the Very Good ++ WRAPPER toned to panels, folds, and more-so to the spine, with some chipping to the head resulting in no more than 1cm of loss, and no loss of lettering; a couple of very minor marks/ink splashes but otherwise retaining much of its colour. The wrapper is protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. This copy inscribed in the year of publication by the author to the book's dedicatee, the artist John Piper : 'John with love from / Ruthven / 17.xii.1946' , together with Piper's bookplate to the rear pastedown.' A collection of four essays which combine the subjects of early science with the mythologies of William Blake. The majority of the illustrations have not been reproduced before' (wrapper blurb). Todd was a Scottish poet, artist and novelist, but is perhaps best known today as the editor of the Blake s collected works, a project which he began towards the start of the Second World War. Together with the William Blake expert Sir Geoffrey Keynes, he began to compile a catalogue raisonné of the artworks. Eventually in 1947 the project was abandoned, but is still considered one of the most important collections of Blake research in the 20th century. Later, Todd worked at Stanley William Hayter's Atelier 17 printing workshop, collaborating with Joan Miró and other artists in experiments relating to Blake's printing methods. Ruthven Todd and fellow print maker John Piper moved in similar circles, and Todd even dedicated a poem to Piper, which was published in the London Bulletin (October 1938). Piper is noted to have found Blake a little frightening and inscrutable , but was nonetheless inspired by his work, in 1948 designing a production of the book of Job, which borrowed from Blake's 1825 illustrations. The dedication copy, from the personal library of John Piper. More images available on request. Ashton Rare Books welcomes direct contact.
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