Books From Eragny Press

I was at the San Francisco and they presented this exhibition which celebrates San Francisco printer
Robert Grabhorn's love of books.  Grabhorn’s large personal library of books is related to the history of printing and the development of the book. It includes thirty of the thirty-two Eragny Press books which were printed by Lucien and Esther Pissarro.

Eragny Press was started by the Pissarro's in London in 1894. Lucien was a painter and engraver, however, and not a printer. Esther was neither but proved to be a quick study and dedicated worker. Together they taught themselves how to be printers and publishers. They didn't have much money and Lucien and Esther were artist-printers, perhaps naive, and definitely not businesslike. They hoped sales and subscriptions would support their small business. But they also consistently undervalued their own work. Eragny press was only in business for 20 years but today the Eragny Press is highly recognized as one of the leading art private presses of its times, with exhibitions regularly displayed in such august institutions as the Ashmolean Museum and various prestigious universities. Needless to say, all printed works are highly sought after:

"Christabel, Kubla Khan, Fancy in Nubibus and Song from Zapolya"-Samuel Taylor Coleridge-1904

"C'est d'Aucassin et de Nicolette"- Francis William Bourdillon- 1903

"Some Poems"-Robert Bowning-1904

"Of Gardens, An Essay"-Francis Bacon-1902

 

"Les Petis Vieux"-Emile Verhaeren-1901

 

"Les Ballades"-Francois Villon-1900

The first Eragny Press book-"The Queen of the Fishes"-Margaret Rust-1894

"Autres Poesies"-Francois Villon-1901

 

"La Belle au Bois Dormnat et Le Petit Chaperon Rouge"-Charles Perrault

"Some Old French and English Ballads"-Robert Steele-1905

See these books were amazing The Marjorie G. and Carl W. Stern Book Arts and Special Collections Center at the San Francisco Main Library did a wonderful job in putting together this display.