Cockalorum, Being a Bibliography of The Golden Cockerel Press, June 1943 – December 1948

This First Edition copy of Cockalorum, A Sequel to Chanticleer and Pertelote, Being a Bibliography of The Golden Cockerel Press, June 1943 – December 1948, was published and printed in Great Britain by Christopher Sandford at the Golden Cockerel Press. It is designated, in print, as being an Unlimited Edition.

The book, which measures approximately 6 ¼ x 10 inches, contains 112 pages of text and illustrations that describe the 26 books published within the titled dates (pages 12 - 55), articles by and about the people and activities associated with the Golden Cockerel Press (pages 56 - 112), and a foreword by Christopher Sandford (pages 9 – 11). The book is hard bound in purple cloth covered boards with gilt lettering. It is further enclosed in a yellow paper dust jacket with one version of the Cockerel Device pictured on the front face, along with the book's title, a statement that the book contains 83 illustration, and the incorrect dates for the time span of the bibliography (December 1949 instead of December 1948). There is a gift giver's inscription on the front free endpaper, dated June 11, 1952, with initials that are unidentifiable. The book is in fine condition; the dust jacket, in addition to a wrong date, shows signs of wear along the edges and a small tear along the spine. The overall condition for this item is near fine.

The illustrations accompanying this description show the front face of the dust jacket, a 2-page spread of frontispiece and title page, a 2-page spread of contents, a 2-page spread of list of illustrators and first page of The Foreword, and a 2-page spread of typical page of text and illustration'

The Golden Cockerel Press was an English fine press operating between 1920 and 1961. The private press made handmade limited editions of classic works. The type was hand-set and the books were printed on handmade paper, and sometimes on vellum. A feature of Golden Cockerel books was the original illustrations, usually wood engravings, contributed by well-known artists.