Testimonial Don Floyd
Posted: 7/2/2010 by Paul Parisi
Modified: 7/2/2010 by Paul Parisi
Exceeded Expectations
Again you've exceeded my expectations with the rebinding of the LEC Tristram Shandy. The royal purple Nigerian goatskin and boards covered in the compatible marbled paper set off this magnificent copy of the famous 18th century Rabelaisian-like novel by Laurence Sterne. I first read this novel in the 1960s in a very mundane copy I purchased from The Folio Society. I have always wanted a finely bound copy of Tristram; but the one published by the LEC in 1935 always left a little to be desired, and it was never a very popular LEC. Now it is a copy fit for a king in its Royal purple binding. If George III had read this book, and in its present binding, he may have been in a better mood; consequently, he might have been kinder to his colones, making us all Englishmen today instead of celebrating our Indepence come Sunday.
I do not mean to denigrate George Macy's book. The typography, text layout, illustrations, and printing were and are first class. But in 1935, Macy did not have access to the material for binding that are available now.
It has always been a dream of mine to rebind the fabulous books published by George Macy in the 30s and 40s. The LECs published in these years are some of the finest books ever produced by an American publisher. The Limited Editions Club books publshed today, at $5,000 each, are books-under-glass and do not meet the objectives of Macy. Using fine artists, the LEC publishes very expensive tomes, but they do not have the feel of Macy's work because they are not illustrated by book illustrators. So somehow they lack the empathy between text and illustration that the older LEC books have.
Tell your crew they have again delivered a sumptuous feast for the eyes and touch. I can hardly wait to reread this princely book.
Next on the agenda: Aesop's Fables designed by that great bookman and typogrpher, Bruce Rogers. More about this in a few days.
Best,
Don
Enclosures:
None.
Replies:
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