Leçons de Livre pour Calyban, or Prosper's Parisian Printing Parade
Canton, NY: Caliban Press, 2008-2009. Softcover. Number 29 of about 114 copies. According to Mark McMurray, this marvelous book was published in conjunction with Cat's Head Press of Quebec. It is a book of bon mots, bagatelles, and tableaux de l'imprierie as told to an American. It is also a sometime type specimen and leaf book. It is an inventive and fascinating book comprised of fourteen leçons, lessons, in English and French concerning the Arts of the Book and various other old and new topics. In an announcement for the book, it states that the lessons and topics are collected from found and fabricated texts by the two main semi-fictional characters, Cal & Prosper, exiles on a visit to Paris to learn the art of printing. Lecons recalls printers past and present who have produced books in Paris and McMurray has created his own look at printing history in Paris. Bound in flexible quarter dark vellum with grey-brown paper boards, with white spine label to front cover. Printed in several colours on cylinder and hand presses from foundry, monotype, photopolymer and wood types set by hand, machine composition, and computer. The primary type is Garamond, with additional faces that include Fournier, Caslon, and Nicholas Cochin. An international range of papers are used, including Rives and Arches, as well as a vintage Barcham Green handmade, St-Armand handmades from Montreal, Kochi from Japan, and handmade lokta from Nepal. There are striking images and tipped in pieces that include an original pochoir by Jef Aerosol of Samuel Beckett, an original relief print of Nanacy Cunafd by Melissa Schulenberg, a stencil by Guy Berard, and various found images and stencils. Issued with a separate sheet of "Lecons Notes" which explain some of the images and text. From Melissa Schulenberg's portrait of Nancy Cunard (original relief print) to figures from the 1493 "Liber chronicarum" to woodcuts to found images, this tour of Paris delights. There is one of McMurray's signature volvelles and there is a small "gold" man (cut-out paper doll) in the Treizieme Lecon, "Who's that?" - It is collaged on a page of Arab text opposite a map of the Quartier Latin with text in French and English guessing at his identity. Housed in a gray paper boarad slipcase. In fine conditon. Measures 8.25 x 12 inches. [48] pages. PRI122323. Fine. More