Pepper Pot
North Hilla, PA: Bird & Bull Press, 1977. Hardcover. Number 168 of approximately 250 copies. The Bird & Bull Press was one of America’s oldest private presses, started in 1958 by Henry Morris – who describes a private press as “someone who prints books or ephemera related to his personal interests…” By starting the press Morris was hoping to “make use of the product of a new hobby – hand paper-making.” Many of the books published by Bird & Bull dealt with book related subjects, such as paper-making, printing, illustration, book binding, and typography. Henry Morris and his press thus played an important role in the study, preservation, and dissemination of printing history.
This handsome work by Morris is something of a commonplace book. In the accompanying prospectus he compares the writing of this book with making the Philadelphia pepper pot dish. He says "since I have put this book together in much the same way as the soup was made - bit by bit and over a period of time - I think my title is appropriate. I hope you will read it with the same pleasure I had in making it." He gathers here what he calls choice bits of uncommon papermaking, publishing and printing history...prepared with a zestful variety of type faces..." The included pieces include "The Adventures of a Boy Printer," "To Err is Human," and "Jacob Christian Schaeffer", the papermaker among others. Included is an errata slip inserted between pages 22 and 27, noting that the number should have been 23. Bound in Green's handmade B&B paper. The lovely green paste papers for the covers were made at the press and the half Oasis leather covers were done by Gray Parrot. In fine condition. Measures 9 x 11.25 inches. 84 pages. PRI/071824. Fine.
Item #37378
Price: $165.00