Odes Horace [with] The Continuity of Horace

[San Francisco]: [The Greenwood Press, Jack Werner Stauffacher], 1992. Limited Edition. Wraps. Fine/fine. Odes" no. 121 of 250 copies, "Continuity" one of 500 unnumbered copies, the two volumes in a slipcase, folio size, 96 pp. and 32 pp., "Odes" signed by Jack Stauffacher. Quintus Horatius Flaccus (known simply as "Horace", 65-8 BCE), is acknowledged as "the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus", whose "Odes", a collection of four books of poetry, have been studied through the centuries. Covering a wide range of subjects, Alfred Lord Tennyson spoke of the Odes as "jewels five-words long, that on the stretched forefinger of all Time / Sparkle for ever" (n.b., quotes from Wiki).

This publication of the "Odes" was displayed in the member exhibition of the Pacific Center for the Book Arts in 1992. In his comments regarding the publication, Jack recalls that it was in 1979 that Michael Taylor sent him (Jack) his (Michael's) translation of Book One of the "Odes"; Michael wrote to Jack: "Strangely, my 'vision' of Horace has always been linked in my mind with the feeling for typography I picked up at the Greenwood Press - so it is only right that the translation should come back to you, for you" (n.b., Jack Werner Stauffacher and Glenn Humphreys, "A Typographic Journey, The History of the Greenwood Press", p. 209).

Included (placed into the slipcase by the prior owner) is a booklet published by The Greenwood Press, this being a reprint of a book review written by Fernand Baudin, on a book published in 1983 entitled "NIcholas Kis, A Hungarian Punch-Cutter & Printer, 1650-1702", by Gyorgy Haiman. The book (and review) focuses on Nicholas Kis, "known to his European contemporaries as the outstanding punchcutter of the day" whose "name and fame...became extinct for more than a century" (n.b., from p. 1 of the review). The type used for "Odes", "Kis-Janson", was based in large part upon Kis's types and his story is fascinating.

As of this writing there are no copies of "Odes" available online and we see only two auction records (RBH); this set a fine example of a publication surprisingly scarce in the marketplace.

___DESCRIPTION: Two volumes published as companions, both with mylar coverings on the wraps and housed in a slipcase of white cardstock. "Odes" bound into textured white cardstock covers with a dust jacket of plain white, the front and back with portions of the "Odes" presented in Latin, the spine with "Odes Horace", title page simply with title and author ("Odes Horace"), each poem presented with the first line in blue, in Latin, followed by the English translation by Taylor; handset Stempel Kis-Janson on Mohawk Superfine paper, binding by Klaus-Ullrich S. Rötzscher, folio size (12 1/8" by 7.5"), unpaginated with 96 pages; at the rear is bound in a page acknowledging Michael Taylor as translator, followed by a page with the dates of birth and death of Horace, this followed by the Contents page, this followed by the colophon page, signed by Jack W. Stauffacher in pencil; interestingly, the colophon page states "printing completed January 1990" while the Bibliography has 1992 as the publication date. "The Continuity of Horace" bound into pictorial wraps, consisting of forty illustrations followed by notes of the editions of Horace, both manuscript and printed, which Stauffacher studied in preparation for the printing of "Odes"; Janson (digital) type on Mohawk Superfine paper, folio size (12" by 7.5"), 32 pp. The publisher's slipcase of textured white cardstock.

___CONDITION: Both volumes fine, the wraps clean and without wear, straight corners, the bindings strong, the interiors clean and bright, and both volumes entirely free of prior owner markings; clean, crisp, as new. The cardstock slipcase near fine, entire and still strong, with minor traces of light soil and a bit of wear around the opening.

___CITATION: Greenwood Press Bibliography p. 261.

___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.

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