1928 Kzc

[A-B]⁴ [C-Z]⁴ (twice-folded insert before [Y]1) [2A-2B]⁴ 2C⁶ 2D-2G⁴ [2H-2I]⁴.

[10] vii-ix [x, 1-2] 3-153 [154-6] 157-161 [162-4] 165-77 [178-80] 181-223 [224-6] 227-9 [+17], from p.3 only rectos are paged.

Large Imperial 8^o, 11½" × 8¼", top edge only trimmed and gilt, artificial headband, white wove, Curwen Press + Unicorn; 14pt. Caslon; printers' flowers, ornaments, etc.; casing, green cloth, red leather spine label, gold-blocked: [a thick fillet around the edges] and within ‘: A | SPECIMEN | BOOK | * | CURWEN | PRESS’

In the 1928 Specimen book the Unicorns were arranged and numbered as above; curiously when reprinted slightly reduced by Herbert Simon (Simon, 1973 p.196), they were re-arranged, the two by Lovat Fraser re-numbered (4-5) now come above two by Cosomati, which share the number (6); some are reprinted by Harley (1970, p.20-21) who omits one design by Cosomati, and by Webb & Skipwith (2009, p.[96]) who omit a circular one by Cosomati. I have not yet had sight of Unicornucopia (1973) by Basil Harley. In this bibliography some Specimen book designs have been cited as Kzc followed by a number, but I cite unicorns only by their original 1928 numbering.

Production cost over £1,000; the handmade paper was printed damp; see (Simon 1956, pp.48-52); the first specimen book issued by any English printer since the advent of Monotype (Balston, 1951, p.28).

Contains Catalogue Raisonné 1926-1927; for other Catalogues Raisonnés see Gi, Hj, Kzc, Nc; reprinted in (Simon 1973, pp.232-253).

Curwen copy examined was un-numbered.

not yet checked

• Bawden, Edward, 1903–1989 NPG ODNB
  • see Gilmour (1977) pp.53-60 and Simon (1973) p.215
• Caslon
  • 1725, by William Caslon of London;
  • 1913, Monotype
• Caslon, 14pt.
• Curwen Press
• Fleuron, London
• Fraser, Claud Lovat, 1890–1921 NPG ODNB
  • see Simon (1973) p.152, Gilmour (1977) pp.40-42
• Gill, Eric, 1882–1940 NPG ODNB
• Nash, Paul, 1889–1946 NPG ODNB
  • see Simon (1973) pp.215-6, Gilmour (1977) pp.45-53 and Twemlow (2009) pp.32-34
• Random House, New York
• Rutherston, Albert, 1881–1953 NPG ODNB
  • see Gilmour (1977) pp.42-45 and Simon (1973) p.215; uncle of Oliver Simon.
• Schwabe, Randolph, 1885–1948 NPG ODNB
• Smith, Percy NPG
• Woodroffe, Paul