Top Ten Favourite Books in Your Collection

Several years ago, I challenged myself and a friend to decide on the top ten favourite books in our libraries. It was a surprisingly difficult task but a very enjoyable one. I think it would be fascinating, informative and possibly wallet-emptying to see what the members of this forum have in their list of ten. I'll start it off with mine and hope that some of you will join in. They are not given in an order of favourites as that would be too difficult (just picking the ten favourites is hard enough!). Instead, they are given in rough order of acquisition, with number 1 being the first Fine Press item that I got my hands on.

1.
Peter Scupham
Natura
With a wood engraving by Peter Reddick.
Gruffyground Press, 1978.

Printed by Windhover Press in Romanée on Barcham Green Windhover handmade paper in an edition of 225 copies softbound in beige Barcham Green Katuscha handmade paper covers. (Also 225 copies published by Windhover Press, hardbound in quarter green cloth with silvery-green Japanese Sudare handmade paper sides.)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CevNXmJrXVJ/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

2.
Peter Scupham
Under the Barrage
(Special edition)
With woodcuts by Rigby Graham.
In de Bonnefant, 1988.

Printed in Bembo on Lana mould-made paper
in an edition of 29 large copies hardbound in quarter vellum with unspecified light brown Japanese paper sides and vellum-tipped corners. (Also 60 smaller format standard copies with just a single woodcut, printed on Zerkall mould-made, some softbound in brown Hahnemühle Bugra mould-paper wrappers and some hardbound in salmon pink cloth.)
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce2454jrFHN/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

3.
John Carey
Vegetable Gardening
(Special edition)
With linocuts by Clare Melinsky.
Rampant Lions Press, 1989.

Printed in Octavian, Joanna and Gill Floriated Caps on Arches Vélin mould-made paper in an edition of 20 special copies hardbound by in quarter leather with pale green Richard de Bas handmade paper sides. (Also 480 standard copies hardbound in quarter cloth with light leaf-and-berry patterned paper sides.)
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx1djmzBC7K/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

4.
Colin Franklin
Printing and the Mind of Morris
(Deluxe edition on vellum)
Rampant Lions Press, 1986.

Printed in Plantin and Palatino on sheepskin parchment in an edition of 5 deluxe copies on vellum, hardbound in quarter beige cloth with pale blue Canson Mi-Teintes machine-made paper sides. (Also 450 standard copies on Hahnemühle mould-made paper, hardbound in quarter beige cloth with pale blue-grey Abbey Mills laid paper sides, and 50 special copies on Barcham Green Canterbury handmade paper, hardbound in quarter navy leather with blue Rampant Lions Press ‘Morris Willow’ patterned paper sides.)
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByKE-KThdl1/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

5.
Howard Phipps
Ebble Valley
(Standard edition)
With wood engravings and linocuts by Howard Phipps.
Whittington Press, 2007.

Printed in Poliphilus and Blado on cream Velké Losiny handmade paper, with the illustrations printed on white Zerkall mould-made paper, in an edition of 230 copies hardbound in half green cloth with printed green paper sides. (Also 45 special copies hardbound in half green leather with printed green paper sides, accompanied by a portfolio of selected engravings, and 25 deluxe copies hardbound in green leather, accompanied by a portfolio of most of the engravings.)
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByrhbPHBLx8/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

6.
Jean Giono
The Man Who Planted Trees
With photographs by Martine Franck, printed as copper plate photogravures by Jon Goodman.
Limited Editions Club, 1995.

Printed by Michael and Winifred Bixler in Monotype Garamond with Bembo initials on Magnani mould-made paper, with the photogravures printed on Arches mould-made paper, in an edition of 300 copies hardbound in quarter black leather with brown mulberry bark sides.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Byj0zN5hqUP/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

7.
Eleanor Wilner
Everything is Starting
(Deluxe edition)
With an etching by Louise Kohrman.
Kat Ran Press, 2002.

If pushed on the matter, this is probably my favourite item on my shelves. Printed in Centaur on Twinrocker handmade paper in an edition of 4 copies hardbound in half vellum with cream Fabriano Roma handmade paper sides. (Also a standard edition of 46 copies softbound in French-folded pale sage Twinrocker handmade paper covers.)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxF4wEwh6u7/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

8.
Dana Gioia
Journeys in Sunlight
With etchings by Fulvio Testa.
Ex Ophidia, 1986.

Printed in Dante, with a calligraphic initial by Richard Brough, on Magnani wove handmade paper in an edition of 90 copies hardbound in quarter dark brown leather with minimally marbled pale grey Zerkall Amora laid mould-made paper sides.
https://www.instagram.com/p/By4g3rLBLkD/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

9.
Michael Ondaatje
Tin Roof
Greenboathouse Press, 2013.

Printed in Romanée and Van Dijck on Reg Lissel handmade paper in an edition of 65 copies softbound by Alanna Simenson in russet Cave handmade paper wrappers.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BxCM9RoJPsZ/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

10.
Annemarie Ní Churreáin
Town
(Standard edition)
With original black and white film photographs by Rich Gilligan.
The Salvage Press, 2018.

Printed in Méridien on Velké Losiny handmade paper in an edition of 54 standard copies hardbound in blue cloth. (Also 26 special copies hardbound in off-white goatskin with a navy goatskin spine, accompanied with a suite of photographs not featured in the book.)
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxl4U7uhjMA/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

>1 ChestnutPress: Very interesting list, thank you for sharing!

Which edition of Natura do you prefer? I think I’ll have to order a copy.

I prefer not to list my favorite books when my other books might overhear me. But I'll whisper one: Stealing of the Mare from Gregynog. Printed on Japanese vellum.

>2 NathanOv: I prefer the Gruffyground as it was my first love in fine press! The Windhover version does have a lovely binding, though. Both are delightful and can be picked up for very little, particularly the Windhover edition. We'll worth picking up, I reckon!

>3 MobyRichard: Very choice! I think your other books probably already know how they stand in your eyes!

>1 ChestnutPress:

A fascinating idea!

Some unsolicited comments on your choices for Top Ten:

1. The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono, LEC (Sidney Shiff). This is an inspired choice and it is one of my favorites from the Sidney Shiff LEC era. Martine Franck's photographs of the French countryside are luminous and mesh perfectly with the story. No one I am aware of ever printed photographs in private press books with as much care and expertise as Sidney Shiff. The page design with bilingual text in red and black (French language directly underneath the English in a different type) is superb and the mulberry tree bark (produced in Mexico) binding is the icing on this cake.

I would also suggest looking at another Sidney Shiff LEC book featuring world-class photography - Song of the Open Road by Walt Whitman. It is illustrated with photographs of tar strips on highway pavement by Abstract Expressionist Aaron Siskind. Don't ask me why this works but it is strangely effective.

2. Journeys in Sunlight by Dana Gioia, Ex-Ophidia Press. Richard-Gabriel Rummonds is a master of the handpress and his all-too-few editions under the Plain Wrapper Press and Ex-Ophidia Press are always beautifully printed and meticulously designed and executed.

3. Town by Annemarie Ní Churreáin, Salvage Press. Jamie Murphy's Salvage Press books almost always feature innovative used of both type and book design, reflecting Jamie's background with an undergraduate degree in the History of Art & Design and Visual Communication at the National College of Art & Design in Dublin. The book design - specifically, the integration of the photography with the poetry text is quite unique.

I will list less than ten, and will skip the details.

1. La Divina Commedia, Dante. Nonesuch Press, 1928.
2. The Grecian Enchanted, Phyllis Hartnoll. Golden Cockerel Press, 1952.
3. E. R. Weiss: The Typography of an Artist. Gerald Cinamon. Incline Press, 2012. 250 copies.
4. Wah-to-ya and the Taos Trail. Lewis H. Garrard. Grabhorn Press, 1936. 550 copies.
5. The Four Gospels : the Gospel According to St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke and St. John. LEC, 1932. Designed by E. R. Weiss. Stunning book, printed on sumptuous paper.
6. Tear in the Eye of the Eagle. David Ernst. Calliopea Press, 1979. 315 copies. I love this thing, and I'm not a poetry geek.

>6 dlphcoracl: Cheers, D.O.
I shall look out the Whitman as it sounds great. I also love thd gravures in the LEC edition of Hemingway's 'The Old Man & The Sea'
Now I eagerly await your top ten!

>7 Glacierman: That's a very fine selection! Items 1 & 3 are particularly fine volumes!

You might be able to detect a certain bias in my list...

1.
John Craig
Britten's Aldeburgh (Standard edition)
Whittington Press, 1997
https://youtu.be/R84KXK7qHj4.

2.
Llewelyn Powys
Glory of Life
Wood Engravings by Robert Gibbings
Golden Cockerel Press, 1934
https://youtu.be/sEiymizqr-U

3.
Hannah Cousins
Coastline (Standard edition)
Nomad Letterpress, 2019
https://youtu.be/O1biJSP4QGI

4.
John Craig
Venice (Special "B" edition)
Whittington Press, 2016
https://youtu.be/fB_9MAzWyyU

5.
John O'Connor
The English Scene (Special edition)
Whittington Press, 200
https://youtu.be/IaPt8c0s7ug

6.
Nigel Hamway
2020 Vision (Standard edition)
Nomad Letterpress, 2020
https://youtu.be/ryLxz6UTBIw

7.
Howard Phipps
Ebble Valley (Special "B" edition)
Whittington Press, 2007
https://youtu.be/BAaijfKMY2k

8.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby
Gauche illustrations by Fred Meyer
Limited Editions Club, 1980
https://youtu.be/rr7_VpoD3Hs

9.
Anders Sparrman
A Voyage Round the World With Captain James Cook in H.M.S. Resolution
Wood engravings by Peter Barker-Mill
Golden Cockerel Press, 1944
https://youtu.be/zBFQqekZ5bM

10.
Armida Maria-Theresa Colt
Weeds and Wild Flowers
Wood engravings by George Mackley
Two-Horse Press/Rampant Lions Press, 1965
https://youtu.be/vI1TK0By0dM

Close runners up were A Miscellany of Type (Whittington Press, https://youtu.be/xfvSQI3uwjg); Through The Woods (Victor Gollancz, https://youtu.be/0LtwZ5C1Fy0) and Whittington: Aspects of a Cotswold Village (Whittington Press, https://youtu.be/ei0s8LArIQ0). Briefly, on Through the Woods: it's a fairly unremarkable trade edition. But the wood engravings by Miller Parker are superb and I find Bates' writing about woodland to be utterly beguiling.

>8 ChestnutPress:

Another Sidney Shiff LEC book illustrated with superb photography - Heights of Macchu Picchu by Pablo Neruda with ten superb photographs of (predictably) Macchu Picchu by Edward Ranney. Stunning!!

>10 ubiquitousuk: There are several items in that list that are much loved in my own collection. As for 'Through the Woods', that is a wonderful volume. I think it is well designed (the Plantin looks great) and really well printed. As you say, Agnes Miller Parker's engravings are superb and Bates's writing also.

>11 dlphcoracl: Yes! Those gravures are breathtaking!

Thanks for starting this thread. Spent an enjoyable Sunday morning pulling books off their shelves and whittling a list of over 20 down to 10.

1. The Odyssey, Homer (T. E. Shaw tr). E. Walker, W. Merton, B. Rogers, 1932. 530 copies.
2. Don Quixote, Cervantes, Miguel. Ashendene Press, 1927-28. 2 volumes, 245 copies.
3. The History of St. Louis, Joinville, Sir Jean de. Gregynog Press, 1937. 200 copies
4. One of the Missing; Tales of the War Between the States, Bierce, Ambrose. Yolla Bolly Press, 1991. Illustrated by David Page. One of 30 copies bound in full black sheepskin.
5. Duino Elegies, Rilke, Rainer Maria. Petrarch Press, 1986. One of 10 copies printed on vellum.
6. Mayflies of the Driftless Region, Schanilec, Gaylord. Midnight Paper Sales, 2005. 300 copies.
7. Poems, O’Hara, Frank. Limited Editions Club, 1988. Illustrated by Willem de Kooning. 550 copies.
8. North of Boston, Frost, Robert. Ascensius Press, 2014. 26 copies
9. Crusader Castles, T. E. Lawrence. Golden Cockerel Press, 1936. 2 volumes, 1000 copies.
10. Confessions of an English Opium Eater, De Quincy, Thomas. Limited Editions Club, 1930. Illustrated by Zhenya Gay. 1500 copies.

>14 Sport1963: It's a very pleasing task, isn't it; just perfect for a Sunday morning! Your list has some magnificent volumes in there. The Petrarch Rilke, Ascensius Press Frost and Ashendene Cervantes are some particularly serious stunners!

>15 ChestnutPress: I vote for Rogers' Odyssey.

>16 Lukas1990: Fair play, it is a handsome volume!

>15 ChestnutPress: Very much so. I had to leave some treasures off the list. Ask me a different day and I will probably swap out 3 or 4 of the titles. Lots of enjoyment.

>18 Sport1963: North of Boston and Mayflies of The Driftless Region have both been on my "to buy" list for a bit, so it's nice to know they rank highly among so many other notable editions!

Rilke has also been a recent collecting interest of mine, so will have to do some research on that Petrarch Press volume.

>19 NathanOv: If you’re not set on getting the full-Morocco/boxed binding of North of Boston, you might inquire whether Scott has any cloth-bound copies left (substantially cheaper).

Such a tough decision. In no particular order and subject to change on any given day:

1. Cascadia, deluxe edition, Richard Wagener-artist/William Dietrich-author/Christopher Herold-poet, mould-made Zerkall paper from Germany, handmade Bicchu and Yamagampi papers from Japan, St Armand from Canada, and Hook from Indiana, Nawakum and Mixolydian Presses 2021
2. The Travels of Sir John Mandeville Beyond the Holy Land, Foolscap Press 2019
3. The Mirror & the Eye, standard edition, The Whitting Press 1984, Arches Creme mould-made paper
4. Pastorale, wood engravings by Lucien Pissarro, deluxe edition bound in limp vellum and printed on Kelmscott Batchelor Otter paper, The Whittington Press 2011
5. Joseph Conrad - Heart of Darkness, standard edition, with drawings by Marc Castelli, Chester River Press 2008
6. Andre Gide - Theseus, drawings by Sidney Goodman, mould-made Somerset Velvet paper, Yolla Bolly Press 1998
7. The Hippolytos of Euripedes, illustrated by Leonard Baskin, pre-WWII handmade Amalfi paper from Italy, presswork by Harold McGrath, The Gehenna Press 1969
8. Molly Holden - Sudden Immobility, deluxe edition, wood engravings by Andy English, Zerkall Smooth White Wove paper, Barbarian Press 2021
9. The Dream Song of Olaf Asteson, deluxe edition with hand-colored woodcuts by Maryclare Foa, bound in leather and salvaged wood, The Old Stile Press 1995
10. Kenneth Grahame - The Wind in the Willows, standard edition, Linoleum prints by Vladimir Zimakov, custom Saint Armand Canal paper, Mad Parrot Press 2020

>21 kdweber: Thank you for joining in! There's some in there that I'm unfamiliar with, so I need to go and check them out (which is one of the inevitable and enjoyable results of such a thread). There are some serious beauties among the ones I do know. Your comment on change on any given day is an understandable one. My own ten, which is also not give in any order of favouritism (need to edit my initial post to highlight this) took a long time to settle on after slowly changed over the years. No doubt one or two items will change again over time, but for now it's pretty much set.

My fine press collection, such that it is, is vastly newer and smaller than most of those here, so I don't have a lot of the stately volumes or illustrious presses to list. Instead I'll just put ten that bring me special pleasure.

The Seafarer (Old Stile Press)
Above All Else Do Not Lie (No Reply Press)
Sensuous Lines (Fleece Press)
The Pied Piper of Hamelin (Corvus Works)
The Blessed Damozel (Tudor Black Press)
Aesop Fables (Prelo Prints)
Phisicke Against Fortune (Foolscap Press)
The Light-house (Aliquando Press)
Palladio's Homes (The Old School Press)
The Life of Zeno (Larkspur Press)

Bonus item: Cheap Street Chapbook Limited Edition Set (Cheap Street Press)

I'm pretty new to collecting fine press books, I only started in March this year. I've mostly been concentrating on Fleece Press books so my top ten would be very Fleece Press heavy (not a bad thing!)
I've got 14 Fleece Press items (including 8 of the miniature books). All fourteen books are excellent but special mention goes to:
Spitsticks and Multiples (1 of 335). I first came across the book on this very forum.
Bookplates by Richard Shirley Smith (1 of 40). This is just amazing, and I keep pulling it down from the shelf to look at it.
Then from Whittington Press:
Stubble Burning (1 of 175)
And from Incline Press:
Danger and Destiny in the Fairytales of the Brothers Grimm (1 of less than 300 copies).
Ask me again in 12 months and I should be able to provide a proper top ten (or twenty!)

>24 TheTotalLibrarian: Danger and Destiny in the Fairytales of the Brothers Grimm

Enabled. I'm a sucker for folktales.

>25 Shadekeep: I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

>23 Shadekeep: I am curious whether Sensuous Lines is the only one of the JBW books you have from Fleece Press, or whether you have others and decided this was the best one.

>27 ubiquitousuk: This isn’t aimed at me, but I am also curious. I have three (Sensuous Lines, Endeavours & Experiments and To Beauty) and would rank them E&E highest, then to Beauty and finally Sensuous Lines (though it is still good!)

>27 ubiquitousuk: >28 DMulvee: It's the only Fleece Press title I have at the moment, but I do have several on order, pending the completion of the last one (Dear Mercia, Today I worked well, Cut to Impress, My Brush is My Sword). I don't doubt that I'd rate Spitsticks & Multiples highly if I had it. I do like Sensuous Lines very much however, as it hits a sweet spot for me stylistically, having a penchant for intaglio. I'm guessing the other JBW titles are out of print, or at least they weren't available directly on the site when I started buying from Simon.

>29 Shadekeep: Endeavours & Experiments (the B copy - which is what I have) is still listed on the offers page at a reduced price of £335:

https://fleecepress.com/offers

I strongly recommend this and think that it is fabulous!

>30 DMulvee: Oo heck, thanks! I'll probably reserve one, it sounds lovely.

I also am a new collector, so will just list my current top 5:

1. The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock - No Reply Press, Avec Audace
2. Spitsticks & Multiples - Fleece Press, Deluxe version
3. T.E. Lawrence Correspondence with Bernard and Charlotte Shaw - Castle Hill Press, inlaid binding
4. Experiments & Endeavours - Fleece Press, B Version
5. The Malay Archipelago - Folio Society

The Malay Archipelago isn't a limited edition from the FS, and isn't made with the same quality as other books, but it is a fantastic production, and I doubt that title will ever be done to a higher standard, which is why it gets the nod from me

>32 DMulvee: I've requested Endeavours & Experiments, we'll see if Simon is able to add it my precarious pile. ^_^

I almost included on my list one of the letterpress Folio Society books I have, with If Not, Winter being the top pick of those for me. But I do agree that some of their volumes, even those not letterpress, are very fine books indeed. Outlaws of the Marsh and The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon are particularly delightful to me.

It's too hard! With much weeping and rending of garments, I whittled it down to 11:

The Masque of the Red Death and Other Tales, Edgar Allan Poe, Halcyon Press 1932, standard edition

Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, Chester River Press 2008, standard edition

Phisicke Against Fortune, Petrarch, Foolscap Press 1993, deluxe edition

King Lear, William Shakespeare, Janus Press 1986

Othello, William Shakespeare, Grabhorn Press 1956

Four Stories, Alexander Pushkin, Allen Press 1987

Bartleby the Scrivener, Herman Melville, Indulgence Press 2008

The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde, Bowler Press 2008

The Secret Sharer, Joseph Conrad, Limited Editions Club 1985

Venus and Adonis, William Shakespeare, Pyracantha Press 1984

Shakespeare's Sonnets, New Albion Press 2009, deluxe edition

>23 Shadekeep: There's nothing wrong with being a newer collector without loads of books (particularly the 'big hitters'). I myself don't have a large collection, and most of what I do own fits my collecting preference for smaller books and booklets of poetry. You have obviously started by picking up books that you love and bring you great pleasure, which is the whole point of a collection. Long may you continue to collect in this vein. Regarding your highlighted selection, you have some absolute beauties in there from a variety of really good presses that I happily own pieces from. I'm particularly pleased to see the Prelo 'Aesop' in there as I LOVE that book! Is yours the German version or the more recent English one?

>24 TheTotalLibrarian: Thank you for sharing!
For a new collector of only a few months, you have picked up some marvellous volumes. The bookplates by Richard Shirley Smith has some great work in it, but then he is an exceptional artist (as well as an absolute gent!). My favourite Fleece miniature has to be 'The Country Life' by Katherine Lindsley, while my favourite Fleece Press publication in general is 'Land, Sea and Sky' by Peter Reddick. The Whittington 'Stubble Burning' is a really wonderful volume that I had failed to pick up myself until about a year or so ago! Here's to seeing what your top ten (or twenty) will be in another year.

Well, after spending too long overthinking it, I figure I'll just add a big old asterisk that these are in no particular order and my list would probably change if you asked me again tomorrow, but these are some favorites:

1. The Owl King, James Dickey, Red Angel Press, 1977
2. Cascadia, Various, Nawakum Press, 2021
3. In The Red Zone, Ursula K Le Guin, Lord John's Press, 1983
4. Rock Rodondo, Herman Melville, Red Angel Press, 1981
5. The Story of The Fisherman, Foolscap Press, 2015
6. Undersea, Rachel Carson, Nawkum Press, 2010
7. The Travels of Sir John Mandeville, Foolscap Press, 2019
8. The Emperor's Crystal, Lord Dunsany, Pegana Press, 2013
9. I Felt a Funeral in My Brain / Hollow in The Three Hills, Emily Dickinson & Nathaniel Hawthorne, Red Angel Press, 2002
10. A Ghost Story of Christmas, Charles Dickens, Caliban Press, 2017

>32 DMulvee: I love seeing what could perhaps be described as 'fledgling' lists from new collectors. There's something wonderful about getting an idea of the root building blocks of someone's fine press collection. And you have some great pieces there, of which I particularly love Griffin's 'Prufrock'! I shall have to get a look at 'The Malay Archipelago'. While I don't generally go for FS as I pretty much only have enough shelf space for my fine press, so rarely buy trade editions, I am now curious. Cheers!

I am a new collector so my top 10 are almost all my fine press books and that's a very eclectic list publisher-wise though Limited Editions Club dominates:

1. Travels into several Remote Nations of the World, by Lemuel Gulliver (Golden Cockerel Press). My copy is a very rare No. 14 of only 30 copies printed on hand-made Batchelor paper and signed by illustrator David Jones. The crown jewel of my modest collection. Here's some pics:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/341462#7824722

2. Dialogues of Creatures Moralised (Allen Press). I received a damaged copy with broken hinges. Although the Oracle advised me to return the book I decided to have it repaired by a very skilled professional who works at one of our state libraries. Next year only!

3. The Four Gospels (Folio Society LE). Quality reproduction.

4. Physiologus The Very Ancient Book of Beasts, Plants and Stones (The Book Club of California).
Pictures here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/341965

5. The Book of Psalms (Joh. Enschede en Zonen for Stichting de Roos). Pure typography.

6. A Comedy of Terence Called Andria (Officina Bodoni). I own the German language version. Superb work with a handpress by Maestro Mardersteig. One of the best books I own.

7. Savonarole: Scenes Historiques Par Le Comte De Gobineau (Julius Schröder Verlag). My only book in French but I had to buy it because it is illustrated and signed by my favorite illustrator Sepp Frank. Wonderful vellum binding which is prone to bowing. I put three books on it to prevent this :D

8. Aesop's Fables (Limited Editions Club). Barcham Green paper and lovely overall design by Bruce Rogers.

9. Moriae Encomium; or, The Praise of Folly (Limited Editions Club). Beautiful mezzotints and a hundred marginal illustrations by Lynd Ward. Also love the binding though it's very fragile.

10. The Little Flowers of Saint Francis of Assisi (Limited Editions Club). Again Mr. Mardersteig made a brilliant and criminally cheap book.

>34 kermaier: It is terribly hard, isn't it! The first time I did this it took me about a week. It didn't help that not only did I have to make the choices, but also write briefly on why, although that turned out to be the most interesting part as it made me really think about what it is about those particular books (and my collection in general) that I love so much.

But, to your list! There are some wonders in there, of which I am pleased to see the LEC 'The Secret Sharer' as I think that a hugely underrated yet extraordinary volume. The intaglio prints are stunning! The Janus 'King Lear' is also a magnificent volume, but then Claire Van Vliet is an incredible bookmaker. There are a few in your list that I'm totally unfamiliar with, which is great as it means I have some discovering to do. I can feel my bank account getting hesitant at the impending possibility of a good raiding before too long.

>33 Shadekeep: I need to look up 'If not, Winter' now!

>37 NathanOv: Honestly, I reckon it would be near impossible to actually rank them in a preference. It's difficult enough just picking a favourite ten!
This is a wonderfully new list to me inasmuch as there are several I am totally unaware of. For starters, I have to admit that I have never heard of Red Angel Press or Pegana Press! I shall go and do some digging! I will say that the Foolscap 'Mandeville' is a beauty, though, as is the stunning 'Cascadia'! Time to go and educate myself on the ones I don't know.

>36 ChestnutPress: The Katherine Lindsley arrived this morning. I'm delighted to have it. The Fleece Press book that has really caught my eye is Ploughshare and Hayrick. Currently it's still available from the press, so I might treat myself to a copy at some point.

>39 Lukas1990: There are some serious delights in your list, of which the Jan van Krimpen 'Book of Psalms' is a personal favourite of mine. The LEC 'Aesop' is a beautiful volume; I love the use of those charming old Fell types. The Allen Press 'Creatures Moralised' in a lovely volume that I hope gets successfully repaired.

>43 TheTotalLibrarian: It really is beautiful, isn't it. Those tiny engravings are shockingly good!

It‘s a less difficult task for me, since I only own around 60 fine press books. I started collecting 4 or 5 years ago

In no particular order:
- A Portrait of Shunkin, Tanizaki, LEC
- Snow Country, Kawabata, LEC, with a bespoke binding
- The Man Who Planted Trees, Giono, LEC
- A Sphinx Guide to Questionable Answers, Kuch, Double Elephant Press
- Good and Evil from the Garden, Hodgson, Heavenly Monkey
- Four Stories, Pushkin, Allen Press
- The Raven, Poe, Cheloniidae Press, Special Edition, 1980
- War Poems, Owen, Folio Society Limited Edition
- Rose und Blau, Borges, The Bear Press, Vorzugsausgabe
- The Story of Cupid and Psyche, Morris, Clover Hills Edition, Special Edition

There are still a few books on my list who are without doubt serious contenders for this list.

>42 ChestnutPress: Pegana Press are very niche in their publications, but Mike Tortorello's handset type and printing is wonderful to read and truly immerses you in the stories they publish.

Ronald Keller, proprietor of Red Angel Press who passed fairly recently, was an absolutely incredible book artist and the press hasn't had a single "miss" in my opinion. Their works are predominantly brief nature-focused texts that are very interestingly illustrated and make for cathartic and, again, quite immersive reads.

>46 SebRinelli: Wahey! Someone who has a match to one of my top ten books! I love that Jean Giono!! Out of curiosity, has your copy got white leather tipped corners? Mine has, but I know that not all do. I'd love to see your bespoke binding for 'Snow Country' if you ever feel like posting a pic or two?

>47 NathanOv: Just the description of brief nature texts for Red Angel Press books has me really intrigued. I love nature texts!!

>48 ChestnutPress: Yes, the Giono is a beauty. I’d say they (at least mine) are vellum tips, aren’t they? However, not all books appear to have them: https://booksandvines.com/2014/02/23/the-man-who-planted-trees-jean-giono-limite...

Re Snow Country: I posted a few pictures a while ago.
Post 44: https://www.librarything.com/topic/336646#7838276

Curious to read what you think!

>35 ChestnutPress: I was able to snag the English copy of Prelo's Aesop happily, but either language edition is a gem.

And you are correct that my collection is more about what pleases me. I could have just as easily done a top-ten of nothing but chapbooks, as those bring me their own kind of pleasure.

Oh, and if you look into If Not, Winter, be warned that it is an extremely faithful adaptation, in that it has huge tranches of whitespace where the original text is lost. Such things appeal to me, but are not everyone's cuppa.

>30 DMulvee: I've just ordered one too!

I’m a reader first and foremost. But I love to read in handmade private press and fine press books. And I love to write about the experience. So my top 10 are influenced by that even though that means I kicked some beloved books to the curb for this list (looking at you Barbarian Press Engrains (not a read), Folio Society Johnson’s Dictionary and Lord of the Rings (a beautiful binding on a trade text block), etc.).

1. Arion Press Ulysses, 1988, 175 copies, of which 25 are hors commerce. Ten extra printers copies are without illustrations and bear modified limitation and title pages. Completed in October 1988. This is copy number 10 of 10 extra printer's copies. If you’re interested, my review of a reading on The Whole Book Experience (TWBE) is here .
2. Arion Press Leaves of Grass, 2014, 275 copies, numbered in Arabic, for sale and fifteen copies, numbered in Roman, for complimentary distribution. TWBE review is here .
3. Arion Press Don Quixote, 2009, Grossman translation!, 400 number copies for sale and 26 lettered copies for complimentary distribution. TWBE review is here .
4. Limited Editions Club Les Miserables, 1938, 1500 copies, illustrated by Lynd Ward. TWBE review is here .
5. Barbarian Press Pericles, Prince of Tyre, 2010, 116 copies, of which 100 numbered copies constitute the Standard edition, & twelve, designated I to XII, the Deluxe; four additional Deluxe copies are hors commerce. TWBE review is here .
6. Folio Society Letterpress Shakespeare, beginning 2007, edition of 1000 to who the heck knows on some titles. TWBE review is here .
7. Mad Parrot The Wind in the Willows, 2021, Books are numbered 1-75 and with Roman numerals for the 10 deluxe copies. This is book 13. TWBE review is here .
8. Nawakum Press Norfolk Island & the Chola Widow, 2011, Printed in an edition of 100 copies with 90 numbered and 10 lettered copies reserved for the Press. Books are numbered 1-90 with 1-20 reserved for the deluxe edition. Copy 80. TWBE review is here .
9. Arion Press Voices of Marrakech, 2001, 350 numbered copies for sale and 26 lettered copies hors de commerce.
10. Limited Editions Club Jurgen, 1976, 2000 copies. TWBE review is here .

As most have stated, this could vary day to day, or more accurately read to read, but these are probably what I would grab in a fire. Obviously, I would die before I could grab the “Letterpress Shakespeare,” so I would grab whatever single volume was handy on my way out. Probably Sonnets or Macbeth.

I used to think vellum tips, but on closer inspection I think they look a bit too sturdy and textural to be vellum, but rather a creamy white goatskin leather pared thin.

That 'Snow Country' binding is absolutely gorgeous!! A beautiful piece of craftsmanship that really is quite drool-worthy.

I added one more to my list above. It really is one of my favorites. Poetry broadsides in a lovely hard portfolio. Must be seen to be appreciated.

>37 NathanOv:
I Felt a Funeral in My Brain / Hollow in The Three Hills, Emily Dickinson & Nathaniel Hawthorne, Red Angel Press, 2002
I'm quite envious of this one -- I dithered a few minutes too long, and cannot find one now.

>51 Shadekeep: While I really love the English 'Aesop' (particularly the binding) from Prelo, I will always be somewhat gutted that I was too late to the party and missed that German version as I'd love to have that first book from the press. I do have a handful of proof and reject sheets, so I'm thankfully not totally without.

The FS 'If Not, Winter' sounds most intriguing!!

I've gone for a top 5:

The Fall (Albert Camus) - Allen Press
140 copies on Arches all rag paper.

Pale Fire (Vladimir Nabokov) - Arion Press
200 copies on Somerset mouldmade.
Exquisitely executed Nabokov.

The Man Who Planted Trees - Limited Editions Club
The massive size really enhances the beauty of the binding. The dual language layout is also very pleasing on the eye. As are the photos! (My copy does have the white tips)

Hamlet - Alberto Tallone
160 copies on Amatruda paper (Amalfi). The "simplest" book on my list, but without flaw to my eye. The softcover binding enables the handmade paper to be fully appreciated when you hold and read the book.

The Wind in the Willows - Hand & Eye
One of the 45 copies on Bockingford watercolour paper, with title page and the first illustration of each chapter hand coloured. The generous quantity of very appropriate illustrations makes for a great reading experience.

Sorry for the shameless plug for my blog. It's a time-consuming labor of love that I hope is a source of information and joy to the community.

>53 jveezer: I am wholeheartedly with you on loving to read editions in a fine press form. Part of an old essay I once wrote even discussed the matter. I enjoy your writings on your blog, which I have followed for a few years now. There are some serious delights in your list. The Barbarian Pericles is an extraordinary book in so many ways and I rather wish I'd plumped for a copy at the time. But such is life. I had the very handsome new Bringhurst from them turn up earlier so I have that read to look forward to at the weekend.

>40 ChestnutPress:
These were on the short list, but didn't make the cut:
Don Quixote, Miguel Cervantes, LEC 1933
Emily Dickinson - Poems, Alberto Tallone Editore 2017, standard edition
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Taller Martin Pescador 2013, standard edition
Song of Songs, Bet Alpha Editions 1999

Yes, the LEC "The Secret Sharer" is nearly perfect, and very undervalued.

>57 ChestnutPress: I can see the appeal of having the press's first offering, glad you were able to secure some leaves from it at least! The whole title ran out so quickly once it was posted here that I feel fortunate to have it at all.

I'd be curious to hear your take on the Sappho volume if you do acquire it. It went out of stock from FS earlier this year, but hopefully can be located in the aftermarket.

>59 jveezer: Nothing to apologise for. It's a great blog!

>61 kermaier: My list of 'didn't quite make it' is extensive, but some of the particularly close shave ones are:

Thomas Coryat 'Venice Visited'
Old School Press, 1999

Alfred J Pollard 'The Kelmscott and Doves Presses'
Heavenly Monkey, 2019

T.S. Eliot 'Four Quartets'
Rampant Lions Press, 1996

Bacon's 'Essays'
Cresset Press, 1928

John Craig 'Britten's Aldeburgh'
Whittington Press, 1997

Various 'The Mystique of Vellum'
Anne & David Bromer, 1986

Colin Franklin 'Poets of the Daniel Press' (copy on vellum)
Rampant Lions Press, 1988

>58 EdmundRodriguez: Glad you contributed even five. Thank you!

In particular, the Alberto Tallone 'Hamlet' sounds a dream and I think it might soon need to be acquired here.
PS. Lovely to see Giono feature again!

>37 NathanOv: Great to see Red Angel Press represented in your list. Ronald Keller did some fantastic work. If you don't have it, check out "Spider Letter" by Jonathan Edwards. The typographical design is allusive and unique. Good stuff!

Top 5: top 10 would have a heavy Arion Press weighting given my collection:

Consider the Lobster, Ascensius Press (2011)
Spitsticks and Multiples, Fleece Press (2022, Deluxe State)
Sudden Immobility, Barbarian Press (2021, Deluxe State)
Herman Melville, Selected Poems, Arion Press (1995)
Four Stories (Pushkin), Allen Press (1987)

Honorable mentions:
Phisicke Against Fortune, Foolscap Press (1993)
Cetology, Red Angel Press (1973)
Song of the Broadaxe, Ascensius Press (2020)
Pedro Paramo, Arion Press (2016)
Tour of the California Missions, Book Club of California (1952)

>55 Glacierman: Oooo, Richard, you rascal! 🤣🤣🤣
(the pics you put up in that other thread look great, particularly the 'backpacker' broadsheet)

>67 LBShoreBook: Very nice to see the Allen Press Pushkin in there. A lovely edition!

>66 Sport1963: Red Angel is probably my favorite private press! I have a soft spot for books published in Maine, and Keller's book design and artwork is quite innovative.

I'm lucky to have The Spider Letter, as well as 8 others, and have been patiently searching for those I'm missing such as Aesop's Fables.

>68 ChestnutPress: Hey, there's a copy for sale on ABE..........

And I rather like the poodle honking the horn of the Cadillac.

>54 ChestnutPress: The Giono binding corners are indeed vellum. It's a beautiful book. Selecting just one of the Shiff era books for my top ten list was difficult, there are so many outstanding examples to choose from. It's good to see forum members list “The Heights of Macchu Picchu”, “The Old Man and the Sea”, "Snow Country" and "Portrait of a Shunkin" as favorites. So I will ask for forgiveness, and sneak in a list of my top 5 favorite Shiff era productions (these come after Frank O'Hara's "Poems"):

1. Un Coup De Des Jamais N'Abolira Le Hasard, Mallarmé, Stéphane. LEC 1992. 300 copies.
2. The Tale of the Wandering Monk, Izumi, Kyoka. LEC, 1995. 300 copies.
3. Seven Years in Tibet, Harrer, Heinrich. LEC 1993. 300 copies.
4. Hiroshima, Hersey, John. LEC 1983. 1500 copies
5. Wuthering Heights, Bronte, Emily. LEC, 1993. 300 copies.

Subject to change on a different day...

>71 Glacierman: I saw that as soon as I went looking!

>72 Sport1963: Superb listing!

>645 Those Eliot and Bacon editions are on my wish list too. :-)

Edit: Though my copy of the BR-designed LEC Bacon keeps me pretty happy in the meantime.

>75 kermaier: The Bacon is a truly sumptuous edition that took a while for a really nice copy to turn up at the right price. Hopefully you'll get equally lucky.

>72 Sport1963: Can you say more about the LEC Wuthering Heights? I understand this is a massive book. I bid on this in an auction but didn’t win and think in retrospect I should have bid more.

>1 ChestnutPress:

You are correct. Selecting a Top Ten is a difficult and challenging task. That said...........

1. Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Arion Press, 1979. One of 250 copies.

https://booksandvines.com/2012/03/20/moby-dick/

2. The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke by Wm. Shakespeare, Cranach Presse, 1930. One of 50 copies (total edition of 300) in full morocco binding by Otto Dorfner.

https://booksandvines.com/2016/07/05/great-illustrated-private-press-books-part-...

3. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, Cresset Press, 1930. 2 volumes. One of 195 copies on handmade paper, another 10 on vellum.

https://booksandvines.com/2015/10/26/the-great-illustrated-private-press-books-p...

4. The Four Gospels of the Lord Jesus Christ. Golden Cockerel Press, 1929. One of 485 copies on Batchelor handmade paper, total edition of 500.

https://booksandvines.com/2017/01/30/great-illustrated-private-press-books-part-...

5. The Play of Pericles by Wm. Shakespeare, Barbarian Press, 2011. Two volumes One of 100 standard copies, total edition of 112).

https://booksandvines.com/2014/09/12/the-play-of-pericles-prince-of-tyre-by-will...

6. Faust - Erster Teil by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Julius Schröder/Meisterwerke der Weltliteratur series, 1921. One of 190 copies.

https://booksandvines.com/2011/12/08/faust-by-johann-wolfgang-von-goethe-from-ju...

7. The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides, Ashendene Press, 1930. One of 260 copies printed on handmade paper, total edition of 280. Full thickness white pigskin binding by W.H. Smith & Son.

https://booksandvines.com/2016/04/18/the-history-of-the-peloponnesian-war-by-thu...

8. Walls: A Journey Across Three Continents by Tom Killion, Quail Press, 1990. One of 100 standard numbered copies for sale, total edition of 135. Illustrated with sixty-five unique illustrations by Tom Killion, including six double-page spreads and twenty-one full color illustrations.

https://booksandvines.com/2016/06/13/great-illustrated-private-press-books-part-...

9. The Maine Woods by Henry David Thoreau, Ascensius Press, 1998. One of only 45 copies, entirely printed, bound and handcrafted in Maine. Illustrations drawn by Jon Luoma of Alna, Maine.

https://booksandvines.com/2012/04/09/the-maine-woods-by-henry-david-thoreau-the-...

10. The Fables of Esope translated by William Caxton, Gregynog Press, 1931. One of 250 numbered copies. Illustrated with 36 wood-engravings by Agnes Miller Parker with wood-engraved initial letters by William MacCance.

https://booksandvines.com/2016/02/01/the-great-illustrated-private-press-books-p...

Remember: On the Books and Vines website if you left-click over a photo it will enlarge. If you left-click again (a second time) over the enlarged photo, it will enlarge further providing a macro photo view. This will permit closer visualization of the letterpress printing, illustrations and wood-engravings in these editions.

>77 punkzip: "Wuthering" is a big book indeed 16.5" tall by 12.75" wide. Below is the link to some photos and a description on the LEC web site (the Club still has some new old stock available for purchase):

http://limitededitionsclub.com/wuthering-heights/

Balthus is on the outs in the art world due to the subject matter of much his work, but happily that is not a factor for the 15 drawings he did for this book. He permitted the Club to use work he did in 1933, inspired while visiting the Yorkshire moors. Included is an Afterword by Balthus.

The letterpress printing is world-class on Arches mould-made paper. Bruce Porter of Trestle Editions did a magnificent job of transferring Balthus' drawings to lithographic plates, then printing them on Japanese paper. All is bound in sumptuous full gray-green Nigerian goatskin.

It's not hyperbole to say that this book may be the finest treatment the novel has ever seen. I am not aware of any competitors that even come close.

Good hunting, I hope the current somewhat negative attitude toward Balthus provides you an opportunity to add this book to your collection for a reasonable price.

>78 dlphcoracl: Thank you Oracle, a phenomenal list. The Cranach Hamlet and the Ascensius Thoreau are on the top of my want list. The irony is that the morocco bound Hamlet will be easier to find and acquire than the Thoreau. I'd love to see the next ten on your favorites list.

>80 Sport1963: I’ve been looking for that Thoreau for a few years now, and Walls since >78 dlphcoracl: introduced me to it. I Imagine I’ll be searching for a long time yet!

Also been looking for that Thoreau for years.

>78 dlphcoracl: Oy. That Thoreau.

Deleted.

>78 dlphcoracl: A difficult, yet rewarding task, I hope, D.O. Thank you for joining in!
It's great to see the Thoreau in there as Scott Vile's work is so gorgeous. The Gregynog Esope is also a very fine appearance for me as I have huge love for Agnes Miller Parker's wood engravings. Of the unknowns (or rather unknown, as there is only one), the Quail Press 'Walls' is an intriguing volume that I shall now look closer at. Cheers!!

>85 ChestnutPress:

If you are interested in the wood engravings of Agnes Miller Parker, the Gwasg Gregynog published a two-volume set of her engravings in 1996-1997. Vol. 1 reprints the engravings from the Fables of Esope and Vol. 2 reprints the engravings from XXI Welsh Gypsy Folk Tales. All of the wood engravings were printed directly from the original blocks which were loaned by the National Library of Wales onto an exceptional Japanese Gampi vellum paper. A description with photos can be seen in the listing from Madoc Books (link below).

https://www.madocbooks.com/details.asp?bookNumber=7441

I mention this because this set is included in the upcoming Forum Auctions (London) auction being held on December 1. A link to the auction listing is given below.

https://www.forumauctions.co.uk/101173/Gwasg-Gregynog.-Parker-Agnes-Miller-Wood-...

This two-volume set was one of the high points in the short-lived Gwasg Gregynog's bibliography.

I joined this group at about the time that I started to buy fine press books at all seriously, and the contributions by members of this group have had a strong influence on my book buying. As a result my list overlaps with those of others to some extent. In no particular order, today’s pick is:

The Mabinogion, Golden Cockerel Press 1948
The True Historie of Lucian the Samosatenian, Golden Cockerel Press 1927
The Third Thing, Old Stile Press 2013
Joan the Maid of Orleans, Grabhorn Press for Roy Vernon Sowers, 1938
Venice, Whittington Press 2015
The Mirror and the Eye, Whittington Press 1984
The Beast in the Jungle, Allen Press 1963
The Mirrour of the World, Allen Press 1964
Theseus, Yolla Bolly Press 1998
The Story of the Fisherman, Foolscap Press 2015

and if I may be permitted, an honourable mention to Folio Society for their splendid facsimile of Utamaro’s Studies from Nature.

This thread is turning into my Wants list on Abe!

>78 dlphcoracl: Quite an impressive collection, Moby Dick, Thoreau and Four Gospels in particular tick the boxes for raiding my bank account. The Ascensius Press edition is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing. QQ: have you seen other books from Ascensius? As a huge fan of Maine and the Rockland/Boothbay region Consider the Lobster looks interesting.

>86 dlphcoracl: Good to see "The True Historie of Lucian the Samosatenian" on your list. That is a favorite with an innovative typographical design. It's a fine book to pull from the shelf and read a few pages. A truly pleasant experience. I've been searching for a GCP "Mabinogion" special binding for a while, was outbid last year at a Bonham's auction on a very nice copy.

>89 LBShoreBook:

I also own the Ascensius Press 'North of Boston' poetry collection of Robert Frost and Ethan Frome. I initially passed on Consider the Lobster but have begun reconsidering it.

>13 ChestnutPress:

All the king's men, with photogravures by Hank O'Neal, is one of my favourite Shiff LEC:s:

>92 originaux: What do you think about Sight and Touch? Another LEC that I've bid on in auction but haven't won.

>93 punkzip: Rather silly as a book, but the three water colours are great.
Wuthering Heights, though, is a great production throughout.
My only regret is that I didn't bid on Seven years in Tibet at the same auction. I thought at the moment that it looked very pedestrian compared to the two Balthus, and it was sold prior to them, so I kept my wallet safe. Won WH for 900 dollars and S&T for 400, so I could have afforded it (the auction took place in Stockholm a decade ago).

>86 dlphcoracl: It wasn't that long ago that I passed up those for £400! While the engravings are gorgeous, just having them on their own seems to me a bit strange and disjointed, if that makes sense? I really should have picked up the Esope about 15 years back when I had the chance of getting it for relative peanuts. I instead decided to use the fat chunk of money I had to spend with that particular dealer on several other goodies that caught my eye.

>87 edgeworn: A very fine selection indeed!! 'Venice' is my personal favourite of those, but then I absolutely love John Craig's books. 'Britten's Aldeburgh' came so close to being in my top ten, but was pipped by 'Ebble Valley'. Great to see some Allen Press editions in there too.

>92 originaux: That really is a beauty! Thank you for sharing that as I'd not seen it before. Some of those photogravures are beyond stunning!!

>87 edgeworn:, >96 ChestnutPress: Which version of Venice (my first Whittington Press book). I’ve only got the C edition but it’s very nice.

I was tempted to put the Allen Press ‘A Venetian Story’ on my list but it’s not really a book.

>98 kdweber: I have the standard copy. I rarely bother for whittington deluxes as a frequent difference is a leather spine, or fancier binding, plus a portfolio of engravings that are already featured in the book. The standards always do me just fine.

>95 ChestnutPress:

This two-volume set of AMP wood engravings is more than just a collection of jaw-dropping wood engravings taken out of context. Ian Rogerson has contributed interesting and useful textual material in both volumes. Volume I has twenty-two pages of text describing the history, evolution and conflict at Gregynog in realizing and publishing the Fables of Esope and Volume II has a total of forty-four pages of text giving background and insight into the Welsh Folk Tales, both texts divided into several chapters.

That said, I feel your pain with regard to books I should have bought many years ago at prices that will never be seen again. Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Many on LibraryThing FPF and the Folio Society Devotees board believe this is a Covid-related phenomenon but I disagree. More likely, a newer and younger set of fine press book collectors has arisen over the past 3-5 years and they are discovering that they are relatively late to the game, with many of the finest editions rarely available at auction or from fine & rare booksellers. Thus, when these editions do become available at auction they are bid up aggressively at prices that were unimaginable a few years ago.

>100 dlphcoracl: I should perhaps have a punt at that auction then! Cheers!!
The rapidly rising prices of choice editions is quite startling. For example, Doves, Ashendene and Kelmscott books have rocketed in the last decade. It still pains me that I could have had the Ashendene 'Treatyse on Fyshing' on vellum for less than £3,000 about ten years ago. At the time there was a solid reason not to go for it but it's still a big regret!

>100 dlphcoracl: I agree with you about it not being a covid thing. Hefty price rises were already occurring before the plague descended upon us all. I do think that Covid exacerbated it somewhat, with people perhaps being desperate for beautiful things and willing to go over the odds to get them. Whether this will settle again, or continue, is sonething we'll have to wait to see. I certainly know that I spent a fortune on books in lockdown as they made the misery of things much more bearable. I'm quite fortunate that I have now got to the stage where there is very little I'm still REALLY desperately after. I'm quite content now to concentrate on picking up new things when they catch my attention.

>101 ChestnutPress:

If you do decide to look into the bidding for the Gwasg Gregynog two-volume AMP set, remember that Forum Auctions charges a 30% Buyer's Premium over the hammer price and they are the only auction house to do so. All of the other major auction houses still charge a 25% Buyer's Premium. However, you can avoid shipping charges by picking up an item directly at Forum Auctions - every little bit helps.

Two tips about auctions.

If you can, it's typically better to use the auction companies own website rather than LiveAuctioneers (or a similar site), as there is often an additional 5% premium for LiveAuctioneers.

In terms of taxes, another advantage of using the auction companies website is that I believe LiveAuctioneers always charges taxes, while you may not have to pay state taxes with certain auction companies.

>104 punkzip:

Good tip. The buyers premiums are usually more than high enough 😮‍💨

>105 MobyRichard: When I buy at auction I assume my price will be around %150 of my bid after taking into account the buyer’s premium, CA sales tax, plus postage and handling.

>103 dlphcoracl: Don't you just love a good premium!!

>104 punkzip: Good tips. I've only ever used an auction house directly.

Since we're on auction house tips: if you aren't able to collect then it pays to get shipping quotes before bidding. These might change your budgetary calculus when you realise that having someone collect, pack, and ship your books can add another 25% to the price, depending on what you are buying.

Whenever an auction comes along with several lots of interest, I construct a spreadsheet to factor in the additional costs and keep a running total. Even if you're pretty rational about things, it can be hard to keep track of how much you're spending when premiums and shipping are added across multiple lots. This is especially helpful when the gavel is about to go down and you have to make a last-minute decision about whether to bid again or save yourself for another scrap.

>96 ChestnutPress: for me, the Whittington Press Venice comes closest of any book I own to capturing the real experience of wandering off the beaten track in Venice and stumbling across hidden beauty. The fact that the book has 'hidden' treasures to discover as the pages are turned is a very nice touch.

>98 kdweber: I also own the standard edition of Venice, and I am also very happy with it.

>110 edgeworn: I've not been to Venice so cannot comment, but your comment doesn't surprise me. Craig's images of all the little nooks and alleyways show it to to be a far more off-the-main-track view of the place than most other Venice fare. The whole volume gives me such a beautiful feeling for the place.

>110 edgeworn: I agree with these sentiments about Venice (I have the special B variant, but only because the book seller lost track of his standard copies and offered me the special at a discount). Everything about the book is a triumph of design--inside and out--and it indeed captures the sense of being in Venice.

However, Britten's Aldeburgh just pips it for me. Part of that might be because I simply didn't like Venice (the place, not the book) very much. But I think it is mainly because many of those Venetian side streets become a bit indistinguishable after a while. The Aldeburgh book is a real feast of variety by comparison: town houses, fishing boats, beach fortifications, sun-dappled bridges: it has them all (including an engraving of Venice!)

I'm very grateful to have both books, and now just need get round to buying The Locks of the Oxford Canal. I was jealously eying the special edition that Blackwell's Rare Books has in stock until they upped the price by £200.

>112 ubiquitousuk: Britten's Aldeburgh is also my favourite of Craig's Whittington trio. It blew me away when I first saw a copy and nothing has changed!!

>112 ubiquitousuk: You've gotta get 'Locks' as it's a stunner!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CRCSCashWhb/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

>114 ChestnutPress: Looks gorgeous, another onto my wishlist!

Seven volumes that I would include unambiguously, without qualification in my top ten:

George Bell 1902 Marcus Aurelius large paper
Doves Press 1906 Emerson
Ashendene Press 1930 Thucydides
Officina Bodoni 1976 Sayings of the Seven Sages of Greece
LEC 1986 A Season in Hell
Arion Press 2002 Paradise Lost
Foolscap Press 2022 Brief Loves That Live Forever

Beyond that, it becomes too difficult to choose.

The Taller Martin Pescador 2013 Green Knight would probably take one of those remaining three slots.

Sterling selection!!

>11 dlphcoracl: Another LEC production with fine, almost hypnotic photogravures by Henri Cartier-Bresson is "Three Poems from Les Fleurs du Mal" with plates made and editioned by the unsurpassed Jon Goodman.

>80 Sport1963:

You asked for it (in no particular order)...........

11. Ulysses, Arion Press (1988). Illustrated by Robert Motherwell
12. A Physiology of Taste, Arion Press (1994). Illustrated by Wayne Thiebaud.
13. The Temple of Flora, Arion Press (1984). Illustrated by Jim Dine.
14. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1982), Pennyroyal Press. Illustrated with wood engravings by Barry Moser.
15. Through the Looking Glass (1982), Pennyroyal Press. Illustrated with wood engravings by Barry Moser.
16. The Circus of Dr. Lao, Janus Press (1984). Illustrated with color wood engravings by Claire van Vliet.
17. Sonnets from Petrarch, George D. Sproul (1902). Vellum pages with hand-illumination. Trautz-Bauzonnet binding.
18. The Story of Cupid and Psyche (deluxe edition) 1974, Rampant Lions Press. Illustrated with wood engravings by Edward Burne-Jones.
19. Le Morte DArthur, Ashendene Press (1913). Illustrated with wood engravings by Charles Gere.
20. The Life Work of Dard Hunter (2 volumes), Mountain House Press (1981-1983).

This has been a very interesting thread, thanks so everybody who contributed to it.

>119 dlphcoracl: Is that a standard Ulysses or the printer's edition?

>121 jveezer:

I have both.

1. Five Prose Pieces by Rainer Maria Rilke, The Cummington Press, 1943/47
2.-10. I can't believe I have number 1.

>122 dlphcoracl: Ah, nice. I forgot the illustrated standard edition was so much thicker but that makes sense with the paper they were printed on. Also, is that the Bodley Head edition? I just got the new Annotations to James Joyce's Ulysses from OUP, so I'm excited to add that to my readings.

>124 jveezer:

That is the Bodley Head Ulysses with a custom binding by the Sangorski & Sutcliffe division of Shepherd's Bookbinders in full Harmatan Nigerian goatskin.

Incidentally, note that the white leather binding on the thinner 'Printer's Edition/Reader's Copy' is slightly darker than the original edition with Robert Motherwell illustrations. This is because of an unfortunate choice in binding materials. The white leather is pigskin, which should never be used in fine binding because it deteriorates over time. Specifically, it will slowly darken and it is also susceptible to foxing, unfortunate traits which are accentuated when exposed to ANY sunlight or daylight. This same poor choice was made in a landmark private press edition - the Golden Cockerel Press 'The Four Gospels' with Eric Gill wood engravings (1931). The deterioration of the white pigskin leather on the spine is much more apparent here because of the book's age.

Upon receipt of both copies, I promptly stored both copies of 'Ulysses' in a dark closet with bookshelves and they have never seen light of day (except to read them!) since I took possession.

>119 dlphcoracl: An illustrious list, but I am quite surprised by the absence of one particular book I know to be in your possession: the Arion Press Moby Dick. Why, pray tell, does that tome not merit inclusion in your top 10?

>119 dlphcoracl: Thank you sir.

>126 ultrarightist:
It’s number 1! But there’s a second list posted and it was also numbered 1-10…

>128 GusLogan: Ah, a second top 10 subsequent to the first top 10, usually numbered 11-20, but not so here.

>126 ultrarightist:

The Arion Press Moby Dick is in my original Top Ten list in post No. 78. In fact, I listed it as No. 1.

The list immediately above in post no. 119 is in response to Sport1963's query (post no. 80): "What is your SECOND Top Ten?

>128 GusLogan:
>129 ultrarightist:

I have renumbered the 2nd Top Ten list to avoid confusion. I only posted this in direct response to Sport1963's question.

>125 dlphcoracl: Is that one of the 1000 copies on vellum?

>132 jveezer:

The John Lane/Bodley Head Ulysses was limited to 1,000 copies as follows:

100 copies on mould-made paper bound in calf vellum and signed by the author (James Joyce)

900 copies on Japon vellum paper in linen buckram, unsigned.

This is one of the 900 unsigned copies on Japon vellum paper.

>119 dlphcoracl: I just acquired a specimen page from the Janus Press edition of Dr. Lao, which has only increased my desire to find a copy of the book. Should've known better....

>135 kermaier:

LOL.

You are about to descend into a very slippery and expensive rabbit hole, but a very beautiful one at that. This is the Janus Press magnum opus, included in the Grolier Club exhibition and publication 'A Century for the Century, 1900-1999'. While many on this forum consider the Barbarian Press 'The Play of Pericles' to be their collecting Holy Grail, this one is in the same exalted league.

>135 kermaier:
>136 dlphcoracl:

I had a chance to get the Janus Dr. Lao for cheap but ended up passing b/c I had tried to read the book years earlier and was immediately bored. Weird thing is that it was seeing the binding of the LEC Dr. Lao which first drew my attention to the LEC. So I'm grateful for that, but the story was still a snooze 😴