The Samurai Press, 1906-1909 : A Bibliography. [1 of 26 lettered copies ]

Woolmer/ Brotherson, Revere, first edition, 1986. One of 26 copies for members of the Old Book Table", signed by the author. Cloth, small 8vo, 21 cm,. xix, 70 pp, ills. One of the special copies with limitation leaf, which were presumably all presented by the author. From the blurb - "The Samurai Press was founded in 1906 at Ranworth Hall, near Norwich, by Maurice Browne, Harold Monro, and others, with the object of publishing, in an attractive format and at a moderate price, works of a transcendental nature, chiefly poetry, by young, aspiring, and little-known authors. It was founded on the principle that each poet would help to pay the production costs of his own books and would then recoup his expenses in the form of royalties. It was decided that 150 subscribers were needed to produce a profit but, of course, this ambitious goal was never even approached. The Samurai Press, however, did publish thirty books during its lifetime, some hand- printed on the press that was later to be used by Douglas Pepler and Eric Gill at the St. Dominic's Press at Ditchling. The bibliography describes each book published by The Samurai Press, with a photograph of each title page. Descriptions of Samurai Press catalogues, flyers, and other ephemeral publications are provided, as are ghosts, books planned but not published, and books of other publishers listed in Samurai Press catalogues but not so identified. Special copy lettered "C" and with the name Stephen Weissman [of Ximenes Rare Books] on the limitation leaf, which is signed by the author. Very Good in Near Very Good dustwrapper.