A.H. Mackmurdo, Herbert P. Horne and Selwyn Image (edited, i...

Hammer

£650

A.H. Mackmurdo, Herbert P. Horne and Selwyn Image (edited, illustrated): 'The Century Guild Hobby Horse', London, Kegan Paul & Chiswick Press, 29 assorted issues April 1886-July 1892, comprising numbers 2-27 consecutive, 22 of these in wraps, 7 in two bound volumes, with a few duplicates: No. 2, April 1886, frontis by Ford Madox Brown, orig. wraps; No.3, July 1886, frontis by William Strang, orig. wraps; No. 4, October 1886, double page frontis of a William Blake broadsheet + 2 plates of Pre-Raphaelite stained glass windows at St. Martin's Church, Scarborough, orig. wraps; No.5, January 1887, frontis by G.F. Watts + 2 full page plates, orig. wraps; No.6, April 1887, frontis by Frederic Shields, 3 full page woodcut plates after Arthur Burgess, orig. wraps; No. 7, July 1887, frontis by E. Burne-Jones + 2 plates (photogravure of a drawing by Rossetti and a facsimile of William Blake's Sibylline leaf on Homer and Virgil), orig. wraps; No.8, October 1887, frontis by Selwyn Image + 1 full page plate, orig. wraps, together with duplicate copy complete with frontis and plate, orig. wraps, top wrap with part loss upper corner; No.9, January 1888, frontis + 2 full page plates, orig. wraps; bound volume of four No.'s, volume 3, being No.'s 9,10,11 & 12, bound without wraps, boards loose and worn, includes No. 10, with frontis by F. Sandys + 2 plates, issues 9,11 & 12 also with frontises, full page plates; No. 11, June 1888, frontis + 2 plates, orig. wraps; No.12, October 1888, frontis + full page plate by Frederick Sandys, orig. wraps; No.13, January 1889, frontis + full page plate by C. W. Whall, orig. wraps, together with duplicate of No. 13, frontis + 1 plate complete, orig. wraps; No.14, April 1889, frontis after D.G. Rossetti + full page plate by Herbert P. Horne, orig. wraps; No.15, July 1889, frontis after Edward Burne-Jones + 1 full page plate, orig. wraps; No. 16, October 1889, frontis by Frederic Shields + 1 full page plate, orig. wraps; bound volume of four No.'s, volume 5, No.'s 17,18,19 & 20, January, April, July & OCtober 1890, No.17, Jan. 1890, frontis by Frederic Leighton + 1 full page plate by Selwyn Image; No. 18, April 1890, frontis after Hans Holbein + 1 full page plate; No. 19, frontis by Ford Madox Brown + 1 full page plate; No. 20, October 1890, frontis by Frederic Shields + 1 full page plate by Selwyn Image, each issue with original wraps bound in, plus a woodcut pictorial general title page for volume five and two leaves contents and list of illustrations for volume five, original quarter Japanese vellum, printed paper covered boards; No. 21, January 1891, frontis + 1 full page plate by Selwyn Image, orig. wraps (top wrap with two repaired closed tears); No. 23, July 1891, frontis + 1 full page plate facsimile of a woodcut by J.F. Millet, orig. wraps; No. 24, October 1891, frontis + 1 full page plate, both after Jean Francois Millet from original impressions in the collection of M. Camille Pissarro, orig. wraps; No. 25, January 1892, frontis after Sir Peter Lely, orig. wraps; No. 26, April 1892, frontis after J.F. Millet + 1 full page plate after Edward Calvert, orig. wraps (wraps worn, loose); No. 27, July 1892, folding frontis by Selwyn Image, lacks wraps, but with volume 7 general woodcut pictorial title and general contents/list of illustrations at end. All quarto, decorative woodcut titles by Selwyn Image, woodcut decorations and initials and aforementioned full page plates/illustrations. A part set of the highly influential magazine produced by one of the most important 19th century Arts and Crafts organisations. The Century Guild was founded in 1882 by the architect Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo to produce decorative work in every field of interior design including architecture, decorative painting, furniture, metalwork, ceramics and glass. There was an emphasis on crafts rather than mechanical production and in particular the new style of Art Nouveau, evident in the woodcut decorations and monogram by Mackmurdo. The architect Herbert P.Horne and artist & writer Selwyn Image were the fellow members and co-editors but many other artists were involved with the group. In 1884 they started The Century Guild Hobby Horse, concentrating on the visual arts but also including literature and social issues. It was a high quality magazine printed on handmade paper, illustrated with woodcuts and lithographs and used photogravure for reproductions, while the progressive typography and design of the main part was done or guided by Emery Walker and printed at the Chiswick Press. Contributors/content include Oscar Wilde, W.M. Rossetti, Christina Rossetti, William and May Morris, John Ruskin, Arthur Galton, John Addington Symonds, Paul Verlaine, Inigo Jones, Edward Burne-Jones, Simeon Solomon, Arthur Burgess, Ford Madox Brown, William Strang, G.F. Watts, Frederic Shields, Frederick Sandys, Jean Francois Millet etc etc. The Guild influenced C.F.A.Voysey and Charles Rennie Mackintosh and other members of the Arts and Crafts movement; the magazine developed book-design leading to periodicals such as The Yellow Book and The Savoy.