The Song-Story of Aucassin & Nicolette
Lexington, KY: Gravesend Press | printed by Jacob Hammer, 1957. Hard Cover. Very Good+ binding. Item #9405
12mo. [8], 78, [4] pp, illus, music. Limited edition, one of 200 copies from the regular edition. This copy signed by Kredel at the colophon. As issued, in blue silk over boards; lacking the slipcase. A trifle sunned at the spine, but generally a very nice copy.
This book with all the engraved music and illustrations by Kredel constituted one of the greatest challenges for the Gravesend Press. A seemingly monumental undertaking for a part-time printer, the book requiring three years to complete with countless backwards steps including reprinting sheets when errors were found, fighting with the forms in order to the wood engraved music situated in the composed type. In 1955 Graves writes of "having no end of trouble with the Aucassin, especially with V. Hammer and Jacob looking over my shoulder. It is terrifically difficult. I can get myself into the damnedest situations" (qtd in. Archer p. 10). A worthy challenge as this is a wonderful book and contains by Graves's assessment some of Kredel's finest woodcuts. This copy is signed by Kredel, not the case with every copy of the regular edition. In addition to the 200 in silk over boards, there was an additional 25 copies bound in vellum with colored illustrations. Archer, H. Richard. "Joseph Graves and the Press of Gravesend." The Kentucky Review, 7.1 (1987). Graves, The Gravesend Press: A Bibliographical Confession, p. 13-15.
Price: $300.00