(Ashendene Press, St John Hornby.) A quantity of various Ash...

Hammer

£1,800

(Ashendene Press, St John Hornby.) A quantity of various Ashendene Press booklets, printed announcements, catalogues and ephemera/ALS, including 'A Chronological List, With Prices, of the Forty Books Printed at the Ashendene Press, MDCCCXCV-MCMXXXV', 1935, sole separate edition, printed in red and black, ff.4, 4to, original stitched blue wrappers, upper stitching loose from centre, discoloured at edges, edges trimmed good. With an ALS by C.H. St. J. Hornby explaining the status of the press loosely inserted, written in black ink on headed paper and dated 13 February 1939. Hornby explains in his reply that the press closed three years ago, and that he is enclosing the present list for the recipient's interest - with the books themselves being 'all "out of print"'. The list itself is a slightly altered version of that featured in 'The Descriptive Bibliography of the Ashendene Press' from the same year - differing partly in that it closes with a reference to that larger work, but more substantially in respect of the preceding 'Note', which lists twelve additional 'minor pieces' printed for private circulation only; 'A Hand-list of the Books Printed at the Ashendene Press MDCCCXCV-MCMXXV', 1925, one of approximately 400 copies on specially watermarked Batchelor handmade paper, printed in the month of December 1925 on the thirty-first anniversary of the founding of the Press, manuscript pen & ink correction by Hornby on p.[10] (correcting 1923 to 1913), [16]pp, printed in red and black, original stitched printed blue wraps, with the single leaf announcement for I Fioretti di San Francesco, February, 1922, printed on recto in red & black, verso blank; 21.8 cm. x 14.9 cm.; [Franklin Announcements 28], and the order form for same [Franklin Announcements 30], both loosely inserted as issued; Charles Harry St. John Hornby: 'Hymns and Prayers for Use at the Marriage of Michael Hornby and Nicolette Ward at St Margaret's Church Westminster', Chelsea, Ashendene Press, 1928, one of approximately 250 copies, [12]pp, the bride's copy, with her contemporary manuscript signature on first page, original stitched printed blue wraps; St. John & Cicely Hornby's Christmas Card for 1916, Chelsea, Shelley House, [4]pp, not printed at Ashendene, the verses are by Edgar Bowen (Hornby's housemaster at Harrow); Christmas Card for 1922 'With All Good Wishes from St. John & Cicely Hornby Chantmarle, Dorset Christmas, MCMXXII.', single page, wood engraved illustration of Chantmarle Manor (printed area approx. 13.5 x 14cm, marginal closed tear professionally repaired verso just affecting image); an interesting ALS from St. John Hornby to Dundas, 1923, with his thoughts on how to re-bind an Ashendene book, [3]pp, Shelley House, Chelsea headed paper; 'The Ashendene Press. Announcement of the Last Books to be Issued from the Press. Shelley House, Chelsea, March MCMXXXIII', 1933, printed in red and black, 4to (28 x 19.5cm); various announcements, some with corresponding order forms, including 'Il Decameron di Giovanni Boccaccio', November 1920, single leaf, tall 8vo (26 x 17cm), plus 5 further duplicate copies of the same announcement, 'The Golden Asse', single leaf, October 1924 (20.5 x 14cm), plus 2 further duplicate copies of the same announcement, 'Spenser's Faerie Queene', single leaf, January 1924, the first version listed in Franklin with prices in one paragraph, together with the order form, 'Spenser's Minor Poems', single leaf, announcement that "The Ashendene Press is now engaged on the printing of an edition of...", 'The Historie of Don Quixote', four page announcement, January 1926, m/s pencil corrections to prices, etc, several of the announcements housed in a blue cloth portfolio, boards approx. 29 x 20cm, "Ashendene Press Announcements" in gilt to front cover, other items in sleeves and acid free film front packets, all housed together in blue cloth clamshell box (36 x 26 x 5cm), gilt lettered on spine