12
RECENT ACQUISITIONS TWENTIETH CENTURY ITALIAN IMPRINTS Denis Reidy PRINTING with movable type was introduced into Italy in 1465 by two Germans, Conrad Sweynheym and Arnold Pannartz, who printed the first Italian book, Lactantius's De Divinis Institutionibus^ at the Monastery of Subiaco near Rome. By the beginning of the sixteenth century, Italian printers had earned an unrivalled reputation for the printing of works in clear and elegant types, the most celebrated being * Roman' and 'Italic'. They were also renowned for the beautiful layout and design of their books. By this time, virtually every major city in the Italian peninsula could boast at least one printing press, while in Venice alone there were more presses to be found than in any other city in the world. Indeed, it has been calculated that just under fifty per cent of all sixteenth-century books were printed there. Italian printers 'par excellence' such as Antonio Blado, Aldus Manutius and his heirs, Gabriel Giolito de' Ferrari, the Giunta family, and Francesco Marcolini, to name the most famous, had earned a justifiable reputation for printing books in comparatively long print runs and, equally important, for publishing textually accurate and carefully edited works, a prerequisite for the literary and scientific researches of the Humanist scholar, especially in subjects such as biblical and classical exegesis. Italian printers were also famed for illustrating their books with woodcuts and engravings of the finest quality. These were not only of great beauty but were essential for scientific works, especially books on anatomy. The tradition of producing finely printed and lavishly illustrated books was continued in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by such celebrated printers as Giambattista Albrizzi and Giambattista Bodoni, to name but two, and is still very much alive in our own century. Contemporary Italian printers are renowned for the attractive presentation of their books, the clarity and elegance of their texts, the beauty of their 'livres d'artiste' and, above all, the very high quality of their colour printing. Indeed, a high proportion of books requiring fine colour reproduction are printed in Italy, regardless of language or place of publication. The British Library's collections of Italian fine printing are exceptional. Books printed in Italy formed a high proportion of the Library's foundation collections, and the Italian collections were greatly enhanced in the nineteenth century by the acquisition of George Ill's Library and Thomas Grenville's magnificent bequest, together with the judicious purchases of Sir Anthony Panizzi. Today, purchased additions to the Library's Italian 94

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Page 1: TWENTIETH CENTURY ITALIAN IMPRINTS - British Library · TWENTIETH CENTURY ITALIAN IMPRINTS Denis Reidy PRINTING with movable type was introduced into Italy in 1465 by two Germans,

RECENT ACQUISITIONS

TWENTIETH CENTURY ITALIAN IMPRINTS

Denis Reidy

P R I N T I N G with movable type was introduced into Italy in 1465 by two Germans,Conrad Sweynheym and Arnold Pannartz, who printed the first Italian book,Lactantius's De Divinis Institutionibus^ at the Monastery of Subiaco near Rome. By thebeginning of the sixteenth century, Italian printers had earned an unrivalled reputationfor the printing of works in clear and elegant types, the most celebrated being * Roman'and 'Italic'. They were also renowned for the beautiful layout and design of their books.By this time, virtually every major city in the Italian peninsula could boast at least oneprinting press, while in Venice alone there were more presses to be found than in anyother city in the world. Indeed, it has been calculated that just under fifty per cent ofall sixteenth-century books were printed there. Italian printers 'par excellence' such asAntonio Blado, Aldus Manutius and his heirs, Gabriel Giolito de' Ferrari, the Giuntafamily, and Francesco Marcolini, to name the most famous, had earned a justifiablereputation for printing books in comparatively long print runs and, equally important,for publishing textually accurate and carefully edited works, a prerequisite for theliterary and scientific researches of the Humanist scholar, especially in subjects such asbiblical and classical exegesis. Italian printers were also famed for illustrating their bookswith woodcuts and engravings of the finest quality. These were not only of great beautybut were essential for scientific works, especially books on anatomy.

The tradition of producing finely printed and lavishly illustrated books was continuedin the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by such celebrated printers as GiambattistaAlbrizzi and Giambattista Bodoni, to name but two, and is still very much alive in ourown century. Contemporary Italian printers are renowned for the attractive presentationof their books, the clarity and elegance of their texts, the beauty of their 'livres d'artiste'and, above all, the very high quality of their colour printing. Indeed, a high proportionof books requiring fine colour reproduction are printed in Italy, regardless of languageor place of publication.

The British Library's collections of Italian fine printing are exceptional. Books printedin Italy formed a high proportion of the Library's foundation collections, and the Italiancollections were greatly enhanced in the nineteenth century by the acquisition of GeorgeIll 's Library and Thomas Grenville's magnificent bequest, together with the judiciouspurchases of Sir Anthony Panizzi. Today, purchased additions to the Library's Italian

94

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collections are made as funds permit. All the twentieth-century imprints described belowhave been added to the Library's holdings between 1975 and 1990. With the exceptionof some of the Officina Bodoni books all were printed in Italy. All are first editions unlessotherwise indicated and all have been purchased except for the editions of The Sayingsof the Seven Sages of Greece and Coatlicue which were donated to the Library.

Italian Futurist Works

Three years after the publication of his famous Manifesto of Futurism in Le Figaro on 20February 1909, Marinetti published his influential Technical Manifesto of FuturistLiterature in which he made his celebrated statement: 'After free verse - now at last,WORDS IN FREEDOM!' Marinetti and the Futurist writers believed that wordsshould be freed from the 'prison' of traditional syntax and that adjectives, conjunctions,adverbs and even punctuation itself should be abandoned. Marinetti also advocated theuse of onomatopoeia and the visual impact of print, imaginative typography and worddistortion and where appropriate '3 or 4 different inks and 20 different typefaces'.

D'ALBA, Auro [Umberto Bottone]. Baionette:versi liberi e parole in liberta. Milano: Edizionifuturiste di 'Poesia\ 1915. 140 pp.; 23 cm.

This work entitled 'Bayonets' by the lesser-known Italian Futurist Umberto Bottoneclearly shows the literal 'freedom' of wordsboth in prose and poetry, hence their ' free' andat times apparently random distribution on thepage.

Cup. 408. ww. 37.

CANGIULLO, Francesco. Poesia pentagram-mata. Napoli: Gaspare Casella., 1923. 44 pp.;22 cm.

Cangiullo believed that since music was theonly truly ' international' language, poetrywould be appreciated by a wider audience if itwere literally written on the preprinted musicmanuscript paper used by composers of music.He also believed that with this added visualadvantage, the reader would better appreciatethe musicality and lyricism of his poetry.

Cup. 408. ww. 38.

Luigi. La cucina futurista. Milano: Sonzogno,[1932]. 267 pp.; 19 cm.

This rare and curious work by Marinetti andFillia on futuristic cuisine contains someoutlandish and 'revolutionary' culinary recipesincluding 'Edible Skier', 'Immortal Trout','Excited Pig', 'Bombe a la Marinetti', 'Fu-turistic Pheasant', 'Divorced Eggs', 'AlpineLove' and a 'Stomach Awakener'. The workalso contains a fascinating dictionary of fu-

turistic cuisme.

Cup. 408. ww. 45.

M A R I N E T T I , Filippo Tommaso. Enqueteinternationale sur le Vers libre et Manifeste duFuturisme [par F. T. Marinetti]. {Poesia, annee5). Milano: Editions de 'Poesia\ 1909. 153 pp.;19 cm.

X.958/18063.

M A R I N E T T I , Filippo Tommaso. F. T. Mari-netti presenta i nuovi poeti futuristi. Roma:Edizioni futuriste di 'Poesia\ 1925. 361 pp.;21 cm.

M A R I N E T T I , Filippo Tommaso, and F I L L I A , This fascinating anthology contains work of the

95

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AURODALBAFUTURISTA

VERSI LIBERI EPAROLE .N LIBERTA

EDIZIONI FUTUHISTEDi "POESIA,.

MILANO - CORSO VENEZIH, 61191&

Cup.408.WW.37.

futurist poets including Catrizzi, Cremonesi,Dolfi, Escodame, Farfa, Filha, Folicaldi, Ger-bino, Guatteri, Mainardi, Maino, Marchesi,Marinetti, Sanzin, Simonetti and Vianello.Marinetti's interesting introduction to thepoets sheds much light on the aims of thefuturist poets and futurism in general. Thiscopy is inscribed to Romana [De La SoUe (?)]as an 'omaggio futurista' by Marinetti.

Cup.408. WW.41.

M A R I N E T T I , Filippo Tommaso. GabrieleD'Annunzio intime. Milano: Verde e azzurro,1903. 29 pp.; 18 cm.

Many of the Italian Futurist writers, par-ticularly the majority of the younger poets,held the older generation of Italian poets incontempt. Giovanni Pascoli, for example, wasdeemed to be too sentimental and GabrieleD'Annunzio too decadent and tainted with

Cup.408.ww.47.

Nietzscheism. Marinetti's hterary relationshipwith D'Annunzio has always been difficult toestablish. Although the two writers had muchin common, Marinetti appears to have had alove-hate relationship with D'Annunzio andhis oeuvre. In this early work, which hededicated to D'Annunzio, Marinetti's textbetrays a hint of mockery, which is captured bythe illustration on the dust cover showing thewarrior bard and future hero of Fiume dustinghis laurels.

Cup.408 .WW.47.

M A R I N E T T I , Filippo Tommaso. Mafarka ilFuturista: romanzo. Milano: Edizioni futuristedi 'Po€sia\ 1910. 329 pp.; 19 cm.

The original French edition of Marinetti's'Mafarka' was published by E. Sansot in 1909at Paris, the cultural capital of Europe. Thefirst Italian translation of his scandalous new'African novel' whicb best exemplified Mari-netti's theories at the time appeared one yearlater. Mafarka^ the story of a black FuturistSuperman who is a warrior and at the sametime the founder of a new ' religion' of ' daily

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Heroism and the Will made extrinsic', broughtMarinetti further notoriety since he wasprosecuted for obscenity at a trial which causeda sensation.

Cup. 408. ww. 42.

M A R I N E T T I , Filippo Tommaso. L'Aeroplanodel Papa: romanzo profetico in versi liberi.Milano: Edizioni futuriste di 'Poesia\ 1914.259 pp.; 19 cm.

The Futurists were anticlerical in the main andseized every opportunity to mock the clergy -'we are as distant from internationalist un-patriotic Socialism (ignoble celebration of therights of the stomach) as from timid priest-ridden Conservatism, symbolized by carpet-slippers and the warming pan.' Indeed, at thefirst performance of Marinetti's ' Le RoiBombance', at the Theatre de TOeuvre in Parison 3 April 1909, a full-scale riot was sparked offby the thunderous sound effects of a priest'sdigestive system in Act II. 'The Pope'sAeroplane', a 'prophetic novel in free verse' isno exception. The original French edition LeMonoplan du Pape was published in Paris by E.Sansot in 1912. This edition is the first Italiantranslation from the French. This particularcopy is inscribed by Marinetti to his friend[Barres (.>)].

Cup. 408. ww. 43.

MARINETTI , Filippo Tommaso. II poema deiSansepolcristi. [Milano?]: Tipografia del'Pop-olo (ritalia\ 1939. 13 pp.; 24cm.

Marinetti wrote this poem in 1939 to celebratethe thirtieth anniversary of the foundation ofthe Futurist movement. He dedicated the workto 'Italian Futurist poets and artists', and alsoto the newspapers Le Figaro and Le Temps inwhose columns the Futurist movement wasdiscussed at length.

Cup. 408. ww. 40.

i:-; VITTfWA

AUTORTTRATTO

Cup.4io.f.i63.

M A R I N E T T I , Filippo Tommaso. Scatoled'amore in conserva. IUustrazioni di Pannaggicoperta e fregi di Carlo A. Petrucci. Roma:Edizioni d'arte Fauna, IQ27. 92 pp.; 17 cm.

This uncommon autobiographical work whosetitle translates literally as ' Tins of love inpreserve' shows Marinetti in a humorousvein. The illustrations and decorations byPannaggi and particularly the ornaments andtailpieces by Carlo Petrucci impart an unusualcharm to this edition.

Cup.410.f. 163.

M A R I N E T T I , Filippo Tommaso, and AZARI,

F. Primo dizionario aereo italiano. Milano:Morreak, 1929. 153 pp.; 18 cm.

Some of the fundamental themes of Futurismincluded the cult of war which was consideredto be 'the sole hygiene of the world', the cult

97

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- Campagna

un' j \ auf

CORRRRRRRRERE

i ^l^ C3

V JTv. "̂ '"' J J

a

TLAN

drittoTin

m e n

TRANVAI

CASE

Cup.408.WW.36.

of technical progress, the beauty of speed andthe cult of the machine and, in particular, theaeroplane - ' W e shall sing...of the flight ofaeroplanes, the sound of whose propellers ishke the flapping of flags and the applause of anenthusiastic crowd ...'. Marinetti's ' AerialDictionary' was considered prescribed readingfor disciples of the movement.

Cup. 408. w. 12.

MAZZA, Armando. Firmamento. (ArmandoMazza futurista; con una spiegazione di F. T.Marinetti sulle Parole in liberta). Milano:Edizioni futuriste di ''Poesia\ 1920. 105 pp.;22 cm.

Marinetti's introduction to the work containsfurther useful information on the theory of'parole in liberta'.

Cup. 408. ww. 39.

MoRPURGO, Nelson. II fuoco delle Piramidi:liriche e parole in liberta. (Nelson Morpurgo,futurista; con prefazione di F. T. Marinetti).Milano: Edizioni futuriste di ̂ Poesia\ 1923.29 pp.; 25 cm.

Cup. 408. ww. 36.

RussOLO, Luigi. L'arte dei rumori. Milano:Edizioni futuriste di 'Poesia\ 1916. 92 pp.;plates; port. 22 cm.

This rare and curious work on 'the art ofnoises' by the futurist musician Russolo(1885-1947) contains his theories on futuristicmusic. Russolo composed music which heintended to be played on curious futuristicmusical instruments of his own invention, inparticular his ' Intonarumori' (noise-intoners).His bizarre instruments were even demon-strated at the London Coliseum in 1914. Thiscopy contains Russolo's inscription to AndreCoeuroy 'avec amitie' et reconnaissance' datedParis, 19 June 1932.

X.629/13035.

Books printed by the Officina Bodoni

Giovanni Mardersteig, the great scholar-printer and founder of the famous hand pressof the Officina Bodoni who died in 1977, was granted special permission to print bookswith types cast from the original matrices used by the great Italian printer and letter-cutter Giambattista Bodoni of Parma (1740-1813). Mardersteig initially set up his handpress at Montagnola di Lugano in Switzerland in 1922. Perhaps one of the mostcelebrated Ofl'icina Bodoni editions was the national edition of the works of the Italian

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poet Gabriele D'Annunzio which was printed in 1927. Shortly after the publication ofthis edition the press was transferred to Verona where it has remained to this day. Withthe addition of copper-plate and lithographic presses the Officina Bodoni expanded andproduced books of extremely high editorial and scholarly standards many of which wereillustrated by contemporary artists such as Pietro Annigoni, Giacomo Manzu andGunther Bohmer. All books printed by the Officina Bodoni are invariably elegant andprinted with painstaking precision, are often beautifully illustrated and are alwaysattractive. They are consequently much sought after by collectors wishing to ownexamples of the work of a man who has been referred to as 'probably the finest pressmanthe world has ever seen or is ever likely to see'. The British Library's collections of worksprinted by the Officina Bodoni are particularly fine. Additions to the British Library'scollections since 1975 include;

BASK IN, Leonard. To Colour Thought.[Printed for the Beinecke Library], New Haven,[Connecticut,] ig6y; Verona: Officina Bodoni,[September] 1967. 27 pp.; 10 plates; 25 cm.

This is copy no. 175 of 300 copies printed onCernobbio paper in red and black set inMardersteig's 12-, 11-, and io-point Dantetype. The text of Leonard Baskin's lecture, 'ToColour Thought', was first delivered on theoccasion of the opening of the Graphic Artscollection in Yale University Library on 9 May1966. The ten illustrations were printed (incollotype and offset) at the Meriden GravureCompany, Connecticut. The frontispiece is areproduction frotn William Blake's Small Bookof Designs and the calligraphic half-title wasdesigned by Crimilda Pontes.

Cup. 510.ee. 56.

DANTE A L I G H I E R I , Vita Nuova di Dante(proemio di Benedetto Croce). Montagnola:Officina Bodoni, 1925. [vii], loi pp.; 36 cm.

This edition of Dante's Vita Nuova whichcontains a preface by Benedetto Croce (1866-1952) was printed on a hand press usingBodoni's original types. Only 225 copies of thisedition were printed on handmade Fabrianopaper, and five other copies were printed onvellum.

Cup.510.ee.51.

F E L I C I A N O , Felice. Alphabetum romanum,edited by Giovanni Mardersteig. Verona:Editiones Officinae Bodoni^ i960. 137 pp.;plates; 23 cm.

This work is an edition of Codex Vaticanuslat. 6852 which contains the treatise by theVeronese humanist Felice Feliciano in whichhe described the geometrical construction ofRoman capital letters. This is copy no. 154 ofthe English edition of 400 copies. German andItalian versions were also published in i960.

Cup.510.cc. 58.

GOGOL, Nikolai Vasil'evich. Tbe Overcoat,from the Tales of Petersburg; original Russiantext [by] Nikolay Gogol; with an Englishtranslation by Constance Garnett and illus-trated with 6 etchings by Pietro Annigoni.Verona: Editiones Officinae Bodont, 1975.122 pp.; ill.; 32 cm.

This is copy no. 93 of an edition of 160 copiessigned in the colophon by Pietro Annigoni.The edition has been printed on handmadePescia paper and consists of 150 numberedcopies and 10 'ad personam'. The Cyrillic typewas designed by Wadim Lazursky and wasspecially cut for the Officina Bodoni. Gogolspent the years 1838-42 in Rome where hewrote Dead Souls and it was during his staythere he wrote his first draft of The Overcoat

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which bears the date 1841. This copy has beenbound by Sally Lou Smith in brown goatskinwith grey and dark brown crumpled onlays,tooled in blind. ^

C

L I T U R G I E S . In die 'festo Natalis, et Circum-cisionis Christi'. Ve'rone: G. Mardersteig, 1968.[28] pp.; 10 X 13 cm.

Printed on the handpress of the OfficinaBodoni. One of a limited edition of 80 copies.

Cup. 408. w. 8.

L I T U R G I E S . In die 'festo Epiphaniae'.Verona: G. Mardersteig, 1968. [27] pp.; 10 x13 cm.Printed on the handpress of the OfficinaBodoni. One of a limited edition of 60 copies.

Cup. 408. w. 9.

M A C D I A R M I D , Hugh [Christopher MurrayGrieve (1892-1978)]. Selected Lyrics [of]Hugh MacDiarmid [selected by] Kulgin D.Duval and Colin H. Hamilton. [Piilochry]:[K. D. Duval], [1977]- 34> [i] P-; plate: i port.27 cm.

This is copy no. 18 of a limited edition of 135numbered copies of which only 100 were forsale. This selection of MacDiarmid's lyrics wasset in a slightly modified version of Marder-steig's Dante Italic and was printed onhandmade Pescia paper. The frontispiece port-rait of the poet was engraved by Freddy Theys.This was the last book printed at the OfficinaBodoni in Giovanni Mardersteig's lifetime andis a variant of the Copyright receipt copy.

Cup. 510.ee. 59.

MARDERSTEIG, Giovanni. On G. B. Bodoni'stype faces. Reprinted Verona: Officina Bodom,1968. 22 pp.; plates: ill.; 25 cm.

Cup.510.ee.55.

MARDERSTEIG, Giovanni. Pastonchi. A speci-men of a new letter for use on the ' Monotype'[with an introduction by Hans Mardersteig].London: The Lanston Monotype Corporation,1928. 70 pp.; 29 cm.

This copy is one of a limited edition of 200and is printed on special Fabriano paper. Itis bound in a quarter vellum binding withmarbled paper overboards and contains avariant of Mardersteig's printing device (of across surmounting an orb and bull's horns) inthat it is printed in light blue instead of blackwhich is more usual for this edition.

Cup. 510.ee.63.

SAYINGS. The Sayings of the Seven Sages ofGreece. Verona: Editiones Officinae BodoniyApril 1976. 90 pp.; 25 cm.

The Greek text which is largely based on theversion of Joannes Stobaeus and translated by

1 0 0

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Betty Radice is set in Griffo type based on that British Library, is one of ten 'ad personam'cut by the punch-cutter Francesco Griffo in copies from a limited edition of i6o.1494 for Aldus Manutius. The book is printed' 1 1 1 1

in black and terracotta on hand-made Magnanipaper. This copy, specially printed for The

Italian 'livres d'artiste'

BELLOCCHI, Ugo. Pietro Annigoni. Bologna:Edizioni Edison, 1976. 266 pp.; [i] leaf ofplates, ill. With a bibliography and index.70 X 51 cm.

This is Copy no. 474 of a lavish edition of 990,which faithfully reproduces in full colour the'oeuvre' of the famous Italian artist PietroAnnigoni. This edition, which also contains'critiques' of Annigoni's work, will remain anindispensable monograph for students and artcritics alike. This copy is no. 68, part of a moreexclusive run of 99, since it contains a speciallycommissioned and signed lithograph by theartist. Annigoni, who died in 1988, is prin-cipally known to the British public for hisportraits of Her Majesty The Queen and theportrait of Her Royal Highness the Duchess ofKent as Chancellor of Leeds University.

HS.74/6.

BoNSANTi, Giorgio. Giotto (note storiche etesti critici di Giorgio Bonsanti: ricercheiconografiche e cura delle immagini di AldoMartello). Padova: Piccin, 1985. 60 pp.; plates.55 X 39 cm.

A definitive critical study of the Tuscan artist(1266—1337) which is accompanied by full-colour reproductions of the highest quality toillustrate his 'oeuvre'.

HS. 74/59.

CARDOZA Y ARAGON, Luis, and SESMA,

Raymundo. Coatlicue. Mildn: Ediciones Grd-fica Uno, 1989. 42 pp.; ill. 30 cm.

This unusual and striking example of a

contemporary 'livre d'artiste' is the work of theMexican artist Raymundo Sesma. Sesma, whowas born in 1954 and has lived in Milan forseveral years, has illustrated Cardoza yAragdn's prose poem Coatlicue (which des-cribes the ancient Mexican goddess to whomhuman sacrifice was offered) with a series ofseven collographs. Sesma's coUographs areapplied in several layers and are built up toproduce a richly textured three-dimensionaleffect, which has become almost a hallmark ofhis work. The box which accompanies it wasspecially designed by Angelo Penna. Thisedition was printed on handmade ' Arches'paper in Dante type. Only twenty-six copies ofthis very expensive book, which is a work of artin its own right, were printed. This copy whichis no. 2 was presented to the British Library bythe artist in person in December 1989.

C.188.C.9.

HOMER (Omero). Iliade [episodi scelti etradotti da Salvatore Quasimodo: illustrati con26 tavole da Giorgio De Chirico]. Roma:Edizioni D'Arte Delfino, ig-j-j. 147 pp.; ^6leaves of coloured plates: ill.; Greek text andItalian translation. 60 cm.

The illustrations to accompany these selectionsfrom Homer's Hind are by the distinguishedItalian artist Giorgio De Chirico for a lavishcontemporary edition of the Greek classic.(That shown is the illustration for Book XIII.)The translation by the Italian poet and Nobelprizewinner Salvatore Qiiasimodo was printedin a limited edition of which only 350 wereintended for export. This edition was printed

l O I

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C.iio.k.6.

on handmade paper, specially produced by theMiliani paperworks of Fabriano, and is boundin a contemporary Italian binding of blackgoatskin. The front cover is decorated with aspecially commissioned gilt on bronze med-allion by the sculptor Guido Veroi. De Chiricoillustrated this work with a total of 26 separateplates.

C. i io .k .6 .

HOMER (Omero). Odissea [episodi scelti etradotti da Salvatore Quasimodo: illustrati con20 tavole da Giacomo Manzii]. Roma: EdizioniD'Arte Deljino, 1977. 140 pp.; 20 leaves ofcoloured plates: ill.; Greek text and Italiantranslation. 60 cm.

This de luxe edition of episodes from Homer'sOdyssey was also selected and translated from

the Greek into Italian by Salvatore Quasimodo.It was printed in a limited run of only 350copies which were intended for export of whichthis is copy no. 143. The edition was printed onhandmade paper specially produced by theMiliani paperworks of Fabriano and is illus-trated by 20 coloured plates by the Italian artistGiacomo Manzu. The book is bound in acontemporary Italian quarter binding of blackgoatskin over wooden boards. The front coveris decorated with a specially commissioned gilton bronze bas relief sculpture also by Giacomo

Manzii. ^ ,C. i io .k .7 .

V I R G I L (Virgilio). Eneide [episodi scelti ecurati da Ettore Paratore...]. Roma: EdizioniD'Arte Delfino, 1982. 123 pp.; ^"^ leaves ofplates. 50 X 37 cm.

1 0 2

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C. i i o . k . 12.

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Ettore Paratore selected episodes from Virgil'sAeneid for this striking contemporary editionwhich was specially commissioned to com-memorate the bimillennium of Virgil's death.The episodes which contain the original Latintext facing the Italian translation by FrancescoVivona, are illustrated by 13 high-quality silk-screen prints by the contemporary Italianartist, Pericle Fazzini. This book, printed in alimited edition of 350 copies intended forexport (of which this is copy no. 341), is housed

in a striking holder formed by two cast bronzepanels which were also designed and cast byPericle Fazzini. The two bronze panels, whichare in bas relief, depict Aeneas's flight fromTroy and Dido and Aeneas. The spine of theholder contains an attractive dolphin to il-lustrate the device of the printers, EdizioniDelfino. The cast bronze holder is embeddedin a heavy base of Roman Travertine.

C. i8o.k. 12.

A MEMENTO OF NAPOLEON

Morna Daniels

O N 5 May 1821 Napoleon died in exile on hisisland prison of St Helena. Amongst thoseEnglishmen particularly affected by the newswas John Cam Hobhouse, the eldest son of SirBenjamin Hobhouse. His mother was a dis-senter, and Hobhouse himself had attended aschool run by a Unitarian before going on toWestminster. It was not surprising, therefore,that his anti-Establishment sympathies inclinedhim to radicalism. While an undergraduate atCambridge he became a close friend of Byron,with whom he travelled to Spain, Albania,Greece and Constantinople. In 1819, supportedby Sir Francis Burdett and the radical tailorFrancis Place, he unsuccessfully contestedWestminster as a radical against George Lamb,the official Whig candidate. In December thatyear the House of Commons committed him toprison until the end of the session for breach ofprivilege by his assertion in a pamphlet thatonly troops prevented Parliament being dis-solved by popular protest. Despite this, in theGeneral Election of 1820 he defeated Lamband was returned for Westminster.

Hobhouse had first-hand experience of theconsequences of the Napoleonic Wars. In 1813he toured Germany and saw the terribledevastation wrought by the campaign which

had culminated in the 'Battle of the Nations'near Leipzig. However, when in 1814 thevictorious allies entered Paris, Hobhouse'spatriotism - his brother was in the triumphantBritish army - warred with his sorrow at thefall of a great man and sympathy for Napoleon'srevolutionary ideals. Lord Sidmouth, theHome Secretary, and a friend of Hobhouse'sfather, had provided Hobhouse with a pass tovisit Paris and see the entry of the Bourbons.On the news of Napoleon's escape from Elba in1815, Hobhouse hurried back to the Continent.On 16 April he saw the Emperor review hisarmy and admired his rapport with the troops,and the way he left the saluting base to marchfor a while beside each column. 'I cannot helpwishing that the French may meet with asmuch success as will not compromise themilitary character of my own countrymen,' hewrote. 'As an Englishman, I will not be witnessto their triumphs; as a lover of liberty, I wouldnot be spectator of their reverses.'^ In thesubsequent fighting which led to Waterloo,Hobhouse's brother was killed, shot in the neckat Quatre Bras.

In 1816 Hobhouse published his ownaccount of'The Hundred Days', The Substanceof some letters written by an Englishman resident

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Page 12: TWENTIETH CENTURY ITALIAN IMPRINTS - British Library · TWENTIETH CENTURY ITALIAN IMPRINTS Denis Reidy PRINTING with movable type was introduced into Italy in 1465 by two Germans,