Lithographs from the 'fifties

I was recently rambling round the website of a friendly art dealer and identified a couple of lithographs dating from the mid- (nineteen) fifties and deliciously redolent of the period. I did not recognize either of the names involved, but that did not seem to matter very much when put beside the deliciousness of the prints themselves.

The dealer kindly came to see us and brought the two lithos (along with, I confess, one or two other delights) and the prints showed themselves to be as full of life and zest as we had thought. He revealed that these two had been part of a folder of c.10 which he had acquired. We agreed that the most probable source was an art college of the period and this was student work. The fact that two of them had the words "Intermediate Lithograph" written on them seems to underwrite that theory. In the end the dealer said that, as we had paid for the two best and he felt the the folder might best be kept together, he would like us to have the lot. What a star!

But we know nothing more about them. They are all clearly dated 1955-58 but there is no indication of a College or anything else. I'd love to know . . . so, with no great amount of hope of unearthing the pin from this particular hay stack, I will add a list of the people who signed the prints, in case the group of names stimulates the memory of some old alumnus or some lecturer recognizes a particular style of a particular College of the day.

That would be fun but I don't mind at all if nothing comes of the quest. I, at school at that time, was loving books full of images like this and seeing such lithographs in Lyons' Corner Houses and so on, and I just think they are glorious.




































The names: M. Whittaker, R. Swift, Noel Kenning, D.J.Murphy and a number by Anon!.

Stunning "Plague" images

We have described HERE the saga of how the final copy of the extraordinary piece of work, that Angela Lemaire made in a tiny edition when she was a student, came to us and was eventually given a designed binding for our library by Nesta Rendall Davies.






HERE, more recently, we described how we could not resist making available a small but immaculately produced and housed edition (only 25 copies for sale) and how the master printer Martyn Grimmer was battling away in Bristol to take impressions of the plates.

This task has now been completed and Angela has also finally managed to beat the snow to do her signing. The Binder is in the process of making the necessary drop back boxes and, when they arrive, I will take photographs of the folio in its entirety. Here, for the moment, is Frances . . .




. . . collating the plates with their tissues and the text pages.




And here, because I couldn't resist, are a number of close-ups of these amazing prints. Powerfully horrible they are by clear design but these feelings, for me anyway, are swept clear away by a recognition of their clear-eyed truthfulness and their extraordinary beauty.

It's even deeper in Greenland!

The redoubtable Nancy Campbell was most recently staying here about a month ago in order to work with us on the preparation of the second helping of our Bibliography. More about that anon.

She was regaling us with excitements and fears about her upcoming adventure - a residency of two months at Upernavik Museum in Western Greenland.

Her Blog HERE is always a joy and an erudite feast but her tales from the North are beginning to be really something and the least we can do is to is to steer our friends in her direction.



For an old snowphobe like me, this photo of the little house she has to live in (taken at midday, no doubt!), is pretty daunting but I have to say that this one is quite breathtakingly beaautiful.





Do visit her blog and enjoy the goings on. For the record, I have to claim that early experiments with snow/maple syrup were conducted at Catchmays Court!