Gogmagog Press.

Gogmagog Press (1957-1983)



A collection of 38 volumes, comprising a complete collection of all 35 books issued by Morris Cox, including:



Yule Gammon. 1957, the first gogmagog press book, number 1 of 20 copies, signed by the author, coloured linocut frontispiece, original cloth, dust-jacket, [Chambers 1], some minor browning;



Crash! 1963, one of 80 copies of which this is one of 65 copies bound in wrappers, 8 double-page coloured prints, [Chambers 11];



Crash! 1963, one of 80 copies of which this is one of 15 copies bound in cloth, 8 double-page coloured prints, [Chambers 11];



Magogmagog. 1973 [1974], number 65 of 75 copies, signed by the author, 9 linocuts, bound with a complete set of original drawings and proofs, full brown morocco gilt signed "James R. Brockman | 1976", [Chambers 23], [together with] 12 original linocut printing blocks, full brown morocco; all in black cloth solander box by James Brockman with brown morocco panels on spine;



Magogmagog. 1973 [1974], number 73 of 75 copies, signed by the author, 9 linocuts, original vellum backed boards, [Chambers 23];



Blind Drawings. 1978, number 22 of 75 copies of which this is one of 30 copies with plates on hand-made Japanese paper together with an original drawing, signed by the artist, original vellum-backed boards, [Chambers 30];



Blind Drawings. 1978, number 38 of 75 copies of which this is one of 45 copies with plates on Japanese mingei paper, signed by the artist, original vellum-backed boards, [Chambers 30];



A Feminity of Nudes. 1980, number 4 of 25 [5] copies of which this is one of 5 copies "being artist's proofs and exploratory", presentation inscription signed by the artist to the binder ("For Gemma [O'Connor] | Morris Cox"), 20 prints, original morocco-backed solander box, [Chambers 32];



Studio Book. 1980, number 29 of 35 copies, signed by the author, 50 coloured plates, original silk boards, slipcase, [Chambers 33];



[together with] 29 others; all various sizes, original bindings (38)



 



Gogmagog Photocopy Library (1984-1986)



A collection of 10 volumes, comprising a complete collection of all 10 books issued by Morris Cox



 



Pre-Gogmagog Period (1923-1954)



A collection of 3 volumes, comprising:



Towards Civilization. 1933, number 5 of 15 copies, signed by the author, 8 plates, original paper wrappers, [Chambers b], slight fading and splitting at spine;



The Whirligig. Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1954, original cloth, dust-jacket, [Chambers d], soiled dust-jacket frayed at extremities with loss to head of spine;



Selected Early Poems [The Whirligig]. Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1954 [Gogmagog Press, 1970], one of 35 copies, double-page coloured print, original paper boards, [see Chambers d]



 



Additional Material



Chambers, David; Franklin, Colin and Alan Tucker. Gogmagog. Pinner: Private Libraries Association, 1991, number 4 of 69 special copies of which this is one of ten copies with twenty additional specimen leaves, 2 volumes, original cloth, slipcase;



Three Prospectuses (comprising the first prospectus recorded by Chambers, the fourth prospectus recorded by Chambers and a prospectus for 9 Poems from Nature unrecorded by Chambers);



Typed letter signed ("Morris") to Corrie [Guyt] noting of his books "so few copies available, and these in great demand..." (4to, 13 Dartmouth Park Road, 12 November 1985);



Seven typed letters, mostly signed ("Morris Cox") to Philip Ward relating to Gogmagog Press books (mostly 4to, 3 Heyworth Road, London, 2 August 1960 – 13 September 1966) together with three carbon typed letters from Ward to Cox (4to, Tripoli, Libya, 4 November 1965 – 15 August 1966)

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

"Gogmagog has been aptly described as 'the most poetic and creative private press in England' and it represents the author as printer in a manner which few could hope to emulate."
(Roderick Cave, The Private Press, London, 1971, p.91)

a fine collection of this innovative and artistic press offered here in fine condition.

Colin Franklin states in his commentary to David Chamber's Gogmagog Bibliography that, although the colophon for A Feminity of Nudes notes a limitation of 25 copies of which five copies are "artist's proofs and exploratory", Morris Cox "never explored beyond the artist's proofs... and the idea of an edition was abandoned". Consequently only five complete sets of gogmagog press books can exist. We understand one complete set is in the collection of the V&A Museum, the second complete set is in a private European collection, the third (incomplete) set is in a South African collection and the fourth (incomplete) set is in a private English collection.