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Hard cover, demy 8vo (9 1/4 x 6 inches) in quarter linen over blue holland paper-covered boards, with applied paper label to upper right of front board, with the title Danaë printed in red and centered between three small floral printer's ornaments. The spine and rear board are unadorned. Printed in the Vale Press King's Fount, in a limited edition of 230 copies upon handmade paper (plus 10 on vellum), in black with red printed page numbers, side notes, header titles and introduction. Newly opened, except for fly leaves. Page edges otherwise uncut. Features three full-page wood engraved illustrations by Charles Ricketts, with his signature initials, "CR" within the design, entitled: "In polisht walls a sister found is kissed," "She kneels in awe beholding lavish licht," and "Danaë at her twilit lattice ponders." Printed at the Ballantyne Press, Edinburgh under Ricketts's direction, per colophon, in June, 1903. (a very notable fact). Dedication is to C.H.S., i.e. Charles Haselwood Shannon (1863-1937), Ricketts's longstanding artistic and business partner. Colophon states that this is "The Last Book Sold by Hacon & Ricketts, London /And by John Lane, New York." CONDITION: Very Good Plus, (or almost Near Fine). Fragile nature of the holland blue paper covering to boards has resulted in some minor losses at corners only. Small stain to upper right corner front board, with one very faint mark to center front, as seen. Very clean boards otherwise. Linen on spine with slight rubbing at head, as seen. One pin-head sized hole to paper on rear board. Visible glue (from original manufacture) has bled through at foot of spine, somewhat at endpapers, causing browning, as expected. Text pages are newly opened and remain clean, lightly age toned, with occasional spots of very light foxing affecting some pages, more so at prelims. Hinges are in order, joints unworn. One small notation in pencil to front pastedown as to limitation number. No other writing or soiling of any kind. **COLLATION: [13], [i-iii, Half-Title, Publicat. History in "The Dial, " Dedication], iv-[v] "The Story" in red], [vi, Title pg.], vii -xlv text, [xlvi , blank], [xlvii, Printer's Colophon] [9]. ** As a piece of British fine press publishing history, this volume marks a notable milestone. The Vale Press officially closed in 1904 with Ricketts famously throwing away the type matrixes into the Thames in a final gesture of frustration, having had a rough few years following a conflagration at the Ballantyne Press which had put materials, original woodblock carvings, vellum, tools and much existing stock of still-unsold work since their 1896 founding to the flame. The circumstances under which this dramatic business dissolution occurred can be read in Maureen Watry's bibliography of the Vale Press (Oak Knoll, British Library, 2004).**The STORY of DANAË, is a Greek myth reworked by the British author, artist and poet, T. Sturge Moore (1870-1940), first appearing in Hacon & Rickett's precursor magazine "The Dial" in 1893. The scarcity of remaining Vale Press publications make them a rare find in any iteration. Watry B43, p. 175. (AMJ)
Ref: FINE 9730
$550.00