The Hunting of the Snark: An Agony in Eight Fits
The Hunting of the Snark: An Agony in Eight FitsBy Lewis Carroll, with nine wood-engraved illustrations by Henry Holiday and an Introduction by Selwyn Goodacre
This special limited edition was commissioned by Macmillan Publishers to celebrate their 150th anniversary in 1993. The Holiday illustrations in all nineteenth-century editions were printed from electrotypes: this is the first edition for which they are printed from the original wood-engraved blocks.
Proofs of the block for The Hunting (Fit 5): first proof
on newsprint on left, proof after make-ready on right
Make-ready for The Hunting: a further layer of cut
newsprint is about to be added to an earlier layer.
Designed and printed by Ian Mortimer
Type: Monotype Scotch Roman 46 and Stephenson Blake’s Modern No. 20
430 numbered copies on 145gsm Zerkall mould-made paper, size 260 x 185mm (10¼ x 7¼ inches). Copies 1-130 are accompanied by a separate portfolio of the nine prints from the original blocks.
For a brief illustrated account of the printing of the blocks see Ian Mortimer’s article in The Snarkologist Vol. 1, Fit 1 (https://snarkology.net/journal).
A small number of Printer’s Proof copies from the Press’ archive will be made available later this year. Each copy will be accompanied by examples of the prints and proof material from the making of the edition. For more information please email ianfmortimer@yahoo.co.uk
Images and design © 1960-2021 Ian Mortimer.